Silent Heroes to Award Matriach Elumelu, 21 Others for Impacting Humanity

Chiemelie Ezeobi

Come Saturday, August 21, 2021, about 22 Nigerians would be recognised by the Nigeria Silent Heroes Awards (NSHA) for their silent contributions to the development of the society at large.

Themed ‘Celebrating Silent Icons’, the award, which is in its third edition, will take place at Sheraton Hotels, Abuja by 5pm.

According to the Convener, Mr. Odita Sunday-Udemaguna, the Nigeria Silent Heroes Awards was anchored on a process of identification, recognition and celebration of those whose life activities have positively impacted humanity within or outside their immediate environment.

He said: “The award Silent Heroes is all about celebrating excellence and achievements. We love all our deserving awardees.

“A lot of people are over celebrated, while hundreds of Nigerians doing very heroic things are under-celebrated. This is the reason I founded the Silent Heroes Awards Initiative, an NGO set up to celebrate unsung heroes.

‘’Permit me to say that those we are celebrating were carefully nominated among millions of others given the outstanding contributions they have made over the years in their various spheres to add value to humanity.

“In all honesty, I must say that the awardees of today in their capacities and activities, particularly in the public space, have remained humble and not audacious in self-praise in spite of their outstanding achievements’.”

Among those to be honoured include the matriarch of the Elumelu family, Mrs. Suzanne Elumelu, who will be awarded with the SILENT HERO IN MOTHERHOOD award for bringing up her children diligently despite the loss of her husband at a very young age.

Among her children are Mr. Tony Elumelu, a celebrated banker and global entrepreneur, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, an astute politician and Minority Leader of the House of Representatives.

Other personalities include the Group Managing Director of Fidelity Bank, Mrs. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe; Chairman of Zenith Bank, Mr. Jim Ovia; Managing Director of Technocrime Security Limited, Chief Tony Azuya; and Chairman of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote.

Also, Minister of Women Affairs, Hon. Pauline Tallen; All Progressives Congress (APC) National Women Leader, Alhaja Salamatu Baiwa; Dr. Musa Mohammed, National President RTEAN;

Chioma Okezie-Okeh, Assistant News Editor, The Sun Newspapers; CP Ari Mohammed Ali, Delta State Commissioner of Police; Dr. Salisu Abdullahi A. Onipe, Chairman / CEO Epino Consulting Limited; Chief Paulinus Ozonnagbo, Chairman/CEO Polystar Electronics Limited;

Alhaji Ibrahim Mohammad, Manager, Insurance National Petroleum Investment Management Services; are being honoured as heroes in different categories.

Also included are Adizua Nwakuche, CEO of Kaizen Global Limited; Mathew Enemali; Rt. Hon. Hassan Abdullahi; Dame Joy Nky Okoro, acting General Manager, FCT Water Board , Abuja , Nigeria; Dr. D.K. Olukoya, General Overseer MFM; Asiwaju Mashood Shittu, National Chairman Alliance National Party (ANP) and Chairman/CEO, Mash Construction Company Limited; Anne Nwaghodoh, Channels Tv; Jon Tudy Kachikwu, CEO John Tudy Interbiz; and Dr. Stephen Akintayo, CEO Gtext Global.

The maiden edition of the award, which was chaired by a former Deputy Comptroller General (DCG) of Immigration Service, Dr. Brasca Ifeadi was held at the Best Western Elomaz Hotel, Asaba in December, 2019.

The 2020 edition, which was the second in the series, took place at Nicon Hotel, Abuja under the Chairmanship of former Director General of Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, Professor Epiphany Azinge, who is expected to also chair this year’s event.