From Joe Effiong, Uyo
Akwa Ibom State Deputy Governor Moses Ekpo has emerged winner of The Sun Lifetime Achievement Award for the year 2020, dedicating the prestigious award to Governor Udom Emmanuel.
Mr Ekpo, receiving representatives of the management team of The Sun Publishing Limited at his Uyo office on Monday, noted that the governor has given him a veritable platform to make his modest contributions to governance and the building of a viable polity in Akwa Ibom and Nigeria at large.
He described the Lifetime Achievement Award as a great honour that will spur him more to continue to give his best in the service of the state, the journalism profession as well as the cause of humanity.
‘I didn’t believe that in my lifetime I will have the singular privilege of being considered for a lifetime achievement award because I’ve always tried to do the best I can for my country,’ Mr Ekpo stated, adding that ‘if there was any doubt, this award confirms my total believe in Nigeria.’
Describing himself as an avid reader of the Sun Newspaper titles, the Deputy Governor said he was thrilled that the award came from one the best newspapers in the country that has remained a very vocal and apolitical voice.
‘I am glad that this award is coming from my professional group. I thank you for finding me fit for this award,’ Mr Ekpo stated.
The Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief of The Sun Publishing Limited, Mr Onuoha Ukeh, said the Sun team was in the state to convey the unanimous decision of the company’s editorial board confirming Mr Ekpo’s nomination and emergence as the 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award Winner based on merit due to the deputy governor’s ‘outstanding achievements in life, in journalism, public service and society at large.’
He described Mr Ekpo as a worthy ‘role model for youths of a contemporary generation’ who ‘started as a journalist and rose through the ranks to the pinnacle of Journalism, went into public service, where you distinguished yourself, showing dynamism, industry and serving without blemish.’
The company traced Mr Ekpo’s career from inception at the Daily Service in 1960 through the West African Pilot, Western Nigeria Broadcasting Service, Eastern Nigeria Broadcasting Service, Cross River State Ministry of Information, where he played a significant role in the establishment of the Nigerian Chronicle newspaper group, Commissioner for Information in Cross River and Akwa Ibom States, as well as his services at the Federal Ministry of Information, the Nigeria Copyright Commission and a Federal Commissioner with the National Population Commission, amongst others before becoming the Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State.
‘It is for these reasons and many others that the Board of Editors of The Sun Publishing Limited has chosen you as Winner of The Sun Lifetime Achievement Award for 2020,’ Mr Ukeh stated.
He further added that the Lifetime Achievement Award ‘is given to that Nigerian who is above 70 years and who has made a tremendous impact over the years in the socio-economic and political development of the country.’
The managing director was accompanied by Mr Chidi Nnadi, Editor of The Sun on Sunday.
The formal award ceremony holds in Lagos in October.