Former Olympics bronze medalist, Nojeem Maiyegun, has been selected as the recipient of this year’s KARIS award.
Chris Okotie’s Household of God Church, Oregun, Lagos, in a statement during the week, disclosed that the event will hold on Sunday, December 15, 2019 at the church’s auditorium during the GRACE programme.
Maiyegun won a bronze for Nigeria in a boxing event at the Tokyo Olympics in 1964. Two years later, he again won a bronze in the light heavy weight boxing category at the Commonwealth games.
The awards is given annually by the church to Nigerians who have distinguished themselves in their service to the nation, but were not recognised in their generation.
Many such people have been honoured with the KARIS award in the past; their relatives received the award with the cash prize on their behalf.
Among them were renowned educationist, Tai Solarin, Gani Fawehinmi, a noted human rights activist and lawyer, late head of state, Muritala Muhammed, politician/activist and Gambo Sawaba. Other living KARIS awardees are, Taiwo Akinwunmi, who designed the Nigerian flag, Chris Omeben, Emmanuel Okala and Habib Ruth Garba.
The KARIS award is the highlight of the GRACE programme of the church during which four charitable organisations also receive cash donations for their work. The organisations are the Pacelli School for the Blind and Partially Sighted, Strong Tower Mission, Sunshine Foundation, and the Spiral cord Injuries Association.