World Trade Organization (WTO) President, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and elder statesman, Chief Edwin Clerk, are among Delta indigenes to be honoured at the 30th anniversary of the creation of the state.
The Chairman of the Central Organising Committee of the event, Dr Kingsley Emu, made the disclosure at a media briefing on Monday in Asaba.
The Newa Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Delta was among the states created on Aug. 27 1991, by the administration of the then military President, Ibrahim Babangida.
Emu said that the Delta Government had rolled out a week-long programme in commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the creation of the state.
He said activities for the celebration would run from Monday to Friday, starting with the pre-anniversary media briefing and ending with an award nite.
He said: “As part of the programmes lined up for the Delta @ 30 anniversary celebration, some selected Deltans will be honoured with awards in various categories.
“We have the posthumous award in honour of some distinguished Deltans who are no more living, and lifetime awards for leadership and service to humanity.
“For the posthumous award, we have eminent Deltans like the late Dennis Osadebe, who was the first Premier of the then Midwestern Region.
“We also have late Mr James Otobo and late Mr Mukoro Mowoe listed in this category.
“Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, a former World Bank Vice-President; Mr Tony Elumelu, a foremost philanthropist and distinguished banker, Mr Jim Ovia, among others will receive lifetime awards.”
The committee chairman said the programme would also include a stakeholder’s summit, children’s day and a church thanksgiving service on Friday.
He said the highpoint of the event would be a gala/award nite, where the selected distinguished Delta indigenes would be honoured on Friday.
On the criteria for selection of the awardees, Emu said the committee was thorough in its consideration of the names of the nominees.
“The process of selecting the nominees for the awards was not an easy task.
“As a committee, we sat down and went through a pain-staking process before arriving at these selected nominees,” he added. (NAN)
