IFEANYI UBA'S EXCLUSION FROM NATIONAL AWARD
The National honour sawards have come and gone but one of those that deserve an award but not given is chief Ifeanyi Uba. Let me dwell more by enlightening those who don't know much about Mr. Ifeanyi Uba.
He is a hardworking gentle man from a humble background but with determination to attain a enviable height, which of course is bound to attract envy. Capital old which he runs did no not emerge from the blues, the enterprise metaphors from supplying of diesel, fuel and kerosene over the years and it graduated to become an international oil and gas outfit.
Recently, the Federal Government and the NNPC after much consideration contracted the company to supply millions of litres of kerosene to Nigerians who for sometime now have been queuing in filing stations to buy kerosene for domestic use and Ifeanyi Uba through the governors have personally toured all the states in the company of some governors to personally sale kerosene to poor Nigerians at an affordable price. It beat my imagination that instead of appreciating this good gesture to humanity, a paid writer called good evil and evil good all in the name to tarnish the image and reputation Uba built over the years. I want to add my voice to that of Dickson Okafor who in the Daily Sun of Friday Sept.
16 pages 20 condemned the media attack on Uba. The least people expected to attack Ifeanyi Uba was the Media, and Thisday for that matter because Uba at his birthday bash showed his love and appreciation for the media by showering Journalist at the event with working tools such as digital midgets, laptops, video cameras, projectors, 1 - pods and black berry phones. Even Nollywood stars were not left out as virtually all of them present received electronics, computers and phones from the Nnewi born Philanthropist. I am glad by the way and manner Uba took criticisms when people expected him to react and he never did because that will amount to giving the faceless writer underserved popularity.
Those of us close to him, are challenged by his humility and love for the down-trodden, hence it beat my imagination that such accusation cannot be substantiated against a man who is the hope of many hopeless Nigerians. Let me stress that Uba is not competing with anybody and should not be compared with anybody. We have only one Ifeanyi Uba and there can never be two Ifeanyi Uba's . We are all expected to conquer our and challenges that tries to put us under from realizing our dreams in life Uba have realize his dream as he is still working hard to touch more lives. Money is not everything, there are values and virtues that contributes to a fulfill life and this Ifeanyi Uba at 40 have achieved, conquered the world of materialism which many of us are still pursing including the paid writer.
However, President Goodluck Jonathan could be said to have given award to more people than any other administration since the inception of the award but I want to make a case on the exclusion of an entrepreneur Ifeanyi Uba from the National Award. I am looking forward to the day he will be so honoured, and of course, that will be an opportunity to thrill his admirers once again. Yes Chief Ifeanyi Uba deserves a National Award Indeed.
Maduabuchukwu Akudu