Abia Warriors Chairman Honoured with Mandela Award

The African Youth Global Network based in Accra, Ghana, has presented its 2016 “Nelson Mandela Pan-African Exemplary Leadership Award” to the Chairman of Abia Warriors Football Club of Umuahia, Chief Emeka Inyama.

Presenting the award to him at the Warriors’ Secretariat in Umuahia, the Country Representative of the Organization in Nigeria, Mr. Paul Atsou Kekeh said the main objective of instituting the award was to
encourage and motivate good leadership in Africa as typified by the Late South African icon, Dr Nelson Mandela.

He said that before giving the award to any African, the organization examines and scrutinizes would be recipients to ensure that only those who fulfill the criteria receive it, insisting that Chief Inyama
merited to be so honoured based on his immense contribution and commitment to the development of football not only in Nigeria but in Africa as a whole.

According to Mr Kekeh, Chief Inyama’s excellent administration, youth empowerment, poverty alleviation through massive job creation as well as his assistance to the less privileged in society and excellent mentorship towards young footballers also led to his choice as the recipient of the prestigious award and urged him to keep the fire aglow.

Receiving the award, Chief Inyama thanked the organization for recognizing him in the midst of several other great Africans and dedicated the award to the sports loving Governor of Abia State, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu for giving him the opportunity to serve and showcase his administrative skills.

The Abia Warriors Chairman who revealed that the award came to him totally as a surprise, pledged that he would continue to do his best to the development of mankind.

Mr. Kekeh was accompanied on the visit by Messrs Patrick Bitanga, Kouakou Clovis and Sylvester Akin who are the organization’s Director of Programmes, Accra, Ghana, Country Coordinator, Cote D’ Ivoire and member from Mali, respectively.