Late Blackson from Rivers State rescued 13 persons from a capsized boat. While trying to pick up the last person, he got exhausted and succumbed to the angry waves and died.
It was an emotional moment when his heroic was mentioned. The guests all stood up in honour.
The MD of Sun, Mr Eric Osagie who made the introduction lamented that the two kids he let behind might not know who their dad was.
Baywood Foundation donated N1m to the family. Sun Publishing also gave the widow a token of N250,00 0. Governor of Enugu State, Ugwuanyi promised the family the sum of N1, followed by Governor El-Rufai’s N1m; an anonymous donor have the family N500,000, Senator Ita Giwa N300,000. Fidelity Bank Plc also pledged the sum of N1m to the family. A Christian body announced a scholarship award to one of the children. There were other donations too.
The widow thanked the Sun for the honour.
Following after was Alhaji Abdukadir Abubakar who also received Nigeria’s Hero of the Year.
The Islamic cleric saved hundreds of Christian who were pursued by the attackers who wanted to kill them in Plateau State. But the Imam hid them in his mosque and stood his grounds that they must not be killed.
The man speaking in Hausa toned “Al handrullilahi.” His submission was interpreted by Gov El Rufai as saying that it was good to preserve the life of any man and uphold the dignity of humanity irrespective of whether the person involved is a Christian or Muslim.
He received a cheque for N250,000 from The Sun.
Gov El- Rufai also pledged the sum of N1m to him on behalf of the government of Kaduna State.