Nigerians across ethnic and religious divides, at home and in the diaspora, have nominated the immediate past Governor of Edo State, Mr Godwin Obaseki, for the ‘Governor of the Year’ category in the ThisDay Awards 2024.
This year’s edition of the yearly awards, organised by the ThisDay/Arise Group Board of Editors, and tagged ‘When the Going Gets Tough… the Tough Get Rewarded!’, will be held on January 22, 2025.
According to the organisers, the ‘Governor of the Year Award’ goes to “That Governor who combines vision, passion, dedication and courage to make the lives of the people of his state better.”
Leading the nomination of Obaseki as ‘Governor of the Year’ is the immediate past Commissioner for Digital Economy, Science and Technology in Edo State, Ogbeide Ifaluyi-isibor, who said, “In his eight years of leadership of Edo, Obaseki’s milestone achievements in education, healthcare, innovation, tourism, agriculture, pension, city planning, security, science, civil service and corporate governance are laudable footprints that will stand the test of time.”
He said, “His landmark achievements in the creation of the Edo State Tier-3 Data Centre, which facilitated digital services management for government agencies, the deployment of Health Information Management System, Electronic Health Records and Telemedicine Services, helped to streamline healthcare delivery, improve patient management and extend healthcare access to rural communities.”
Ifaluyi-isibor described Obaseki as a man of vision with passion for excellence and unequalled zeal to impact the lives of his people.
The former Edo State commissioner said, “Obaseki’s eight years leadership in Edo was outstanding. He not only utilised his experiences in the private sector to the benefit of the state, he also ensured that no one was left behind during his tenure in office by providing key infrastructure that added great value to the lives of the people of the state.”
Ifaluyi-isibor added he was not surprised at Obaseki’s achievements in office because of his track record of excellence, saying he found him fit for the ‘Governor of the Year’ award and urged him to continue to find other ways to make life better for his people.
In nominating Obaseki for the award, an international journalist in the United Kingdom, Mayozi John, said, “Since 1999, Obaseki is the best governor Edo State has produced. In all ramifications, he stood out. In all sectors, his presence was felt and is still being felt, even by thousands of Nigerians in the diaspora.”
John, who spoke to journalists on his visit to Nigeria for the Christmas holiday, said, “Across the streets of the United States, the UK and across Europe, many sing his (Obaseki) praises after they must have visited Nigeria and chance upon Edo State.
“Many Nigerians plan to hold a solidarity protest for Obaseki in the United States as soon as Donald Trump is sworn in as President in January 2025.”
He added, “Obaseki’s tenure as Edo governor will continue to inspire and serve as a reference point for future leaders of the state.”
John said it would take an extraordinary human being like Obaseki to best his own records, adding that the extraordinary person has yet to arrive the scene.
The digitisation and reforms of the pension management with the Edo State Pension Management System and an online pension portal are laudable projects that continue to attract local and global accolades.
The Smart City Initiative and investments in fibre optic infrastructure enabled high-speed Internet access across the state, laying the foundation for further digital services and urban planning within the state.
The EdoBEST programme helped to revolutionise primary and junior secondary education by integrating technology into teaching and learning processes.
Other key categories in the award include ‘Titans of The Year’ for the men and women who, through their vision, action, guts and courage made a lasting impact on Nigeria, and ‘Man of the Year’ for the man who significantly influenced major events that defined the outgoing year, 2024.
Others include: ‘Bank of the Year’, ‘Banker of the Year’, ‘Global Bank of the Year’, ‘Brand of the Year’, ‘Company of the Year’ and ‘Product of the Year’.
In addition, there is a segment reserved for ‘Senator of the Year’, ‘Representative of the Year’ as well as ‘Government Agency of the Year’.
Other categories include ‘Investor of the Year’ and ‘Young Global Leaders of the Year’.
