By Chidi Obineche
More, and more on earth, where nature‘s boom untwists, a tidy space is filled with men and women whose strides rock with the effulgence that sparkles grandeur. In that kempt locale, their strides are dotted with flare and the glides formed in distinctive spots that separate them from the pack. Their feats, rare, bold and billowing, light up dark caverns. They breathe with humanity. They work in grits, sweat and toil.
Like the biblical star of Bethlehem, they spew lights of dark aureole that show the way to garlands. The radiance of their lights, its sheer glow stretches far and wide in puzzles of rainbow colours. They are here in flesh and blood like Halley’s Comet. Twenty five of them.
Yes, the footprints of winners of The Sun Awards 2021 shine on the sands of time. Their glow is foreshadowed by the tint and shimmer of Asteria, the Greek titan goddess of the stars, and shooting stars. They have more than their fair share of constellations.
As stars, they don’t beg the world for attention. Their beauty forces people to look in their direction. Progress is the attraction that moves humanity. Before our eyes, these men and women have demonstrated that you get what you order in life.
They have fashioned their lives in garlands of beautiful deeds. They are real proprietors of their feats because the future weaves no garlands for imitators. They were born to shine, and shine all the more.
The award winners caress the frontiers of light and shine like a million stars. They are eminent, conspicuous and distinguished. Their sparkle never dulls because they were made to glow. They walked on the sunlight of their dreams; unlocked their vast rich treasures and intelligence; worked their network and led the time to be where they are today.
Indeed life yields only to the stars on politics, courage, support, hospitality, entrepreneurship, banking, industry, invention, public service, humanitarian service, lifetime achievement, sports, movie industry and more.
Enter Dave Umahi, ebullient Ebonyi State governor and Abdul Samad Rabiu. Their precincts of fame lie in their canniness.
Umahi’s genius has led to the transformation of the once backward state. He scored a bull’s eye and lit the flame that will fan the hearth of a greater Ebonyi. Rabiu, an entrepreneurial dream maker, is in no less category. His unflappable touch on the people with jobs, and steady growth and expansion in his choice area of business has earned for him a sparkle of bright lights.
The diadem for Governor of the Year fits Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Bala Mohammed of Lagos and Bauchi states respectively. They come with self- possessed capacities in weathering the storms of politics and governance, and proudly delivering bounteous dividends of democracy to their people against all odds. New roads, hospitals, schools have all but increased the people’s pact with good governance.
The excitable carriage of Ahmad Lawan, the Senate president, has undeniably ensured stability and unity of purpose across party lines in the Senate and has also made him a political icon of treasure.
In a state gripped by relentless insurgency, Babagana Zulum has moved on stealthily with his programmes, brushing aside indignantly the “flies on his tail.”
For rendering immense dutiful support to her husband through her pet – Vicar Hope Foundation – in the daunting task of building Abia State, Mrs. Nkechi Ikpeazu is the redoubtable Most Supportive First Lady of the year in words and deeds.
Benson Madubuko, irrepressible chief executive of high flying De Chico Group basks in the sun as the Entrepreneur of the Year for his unassailable sassy touch and returns on entrepreneurship. So also is Auwal Rano, the chief executive of AA Rano, who has dominated the oil sector.
Standing tall like a colossus, he has proved that vision, drive, diligence and determination are keys to success.
Emmanuel Iheagwazi, chairman/CEO, Climax Lubricants Industries Limited, and Ebuka Okafor take the stage as Industrialist of the Year, while Okey Nzenwa and Charles Mbah are in the glare as “ Investor of the Year”. They are all stars in form, meaning and reality.
Two serving ministers – Senator Chris Ngige (Labour and Employment) and Hon Chibuike Amaechi (Transportation), who incidentally are former governors, are winners of the award on Public Service.
Senator Uche Ekwunife and Toyin Saraki are the Humanitarian Service Icon winners, for their efforts in giving succour to the less privileged, just as Emmanuel Ndubuisi Mbaka mounts the stage as Banker of the Year.
For Lifetime Achievement Award, the quartet of Alegho Raymond Dokpesi, Bisi Akande, Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu and Col Sani Bello (retd) easily take the diadem. And for Sports Personality, Daniel Igali coasts home with the garland.
Destiny Etiko, the film industry star, is the Nollywood Personality of the Year while Chief Augustine Okoro dons the headdress as Hospitality Personality.
These are stars of the year who have mounted the top with wings. These are the men and women who give light to the dark world. They are the shining stars.