Thisday Awards 2013

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THISDAY AwardsTHISDAY Awards

Glitz at theGlitz at thendukaobaigbena

billclinton

ibikunleaMoSun

18th Annual18th Annual

Our 18th THISDAY Awards have come and gone but I must admit this particular one left behind a lingering memory because it brought attention to some of our unsung heroes- teachers! As we all know, the making of greatness is in the strength of its genesis. Many of us cannot underestimate the value of good sound education because it is this knowledge that arms us with enough ammunition to face the future and its challenges. Education is key to the growth of any nation and for that, it should never be compromised. The best gift any parent or guardian can give a child is this armour.Our guest speaker, the former President of the United States, Bill Clinton, reiterated this in his

speech emphasising that strengthening the economic power of its citizens will be

made possible via education, ultimately moving the nation forward. He advised on various ways to increase Nigeria's earning power and also how

to look inward and invest in our various talents, maximise on our

produce, embrace the new wave of technology thereby making existence here more rewarding for us and our youths of tomor-row. Being the charmer that he

is, he fondly recollected the impact some of his own teachers had on him citing one in particular who,

though not very attractive, woke up every morning,

looked into his mirror and told him reflection that he was beautiful! This attitude, Clinton said, extended to his teacher’s

positive outlook in life, which in return, impacted on the students he taught. Now, for a former President of the United States, once one of the most powerful men in the world to still recollect such an individual, just goes to show what strong impact teachers have made in the lives of the students that have passed through them. So acknowledging their roles and rewarding them for it and also encouraging those that still play these roles is a very moving gesture.Also touching was the unbridled pleasure of these recipients espe-cially as the award came in form of a cash gift of N2M. Now, no price can be put on the value they have

added to the lives of millions but knowing they can use this gift to touch even more lives makes it most poignant. Another thrill of the evening were the speeches given by the Lifetime Achievement award-ees, all of whom are the pillars of society and iconic figures the younger generation look up to because of their inspirational stories and climb to success.The Governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun was the perfect host and he left no stone unturned to ensure his guests were given the utmost attention. All in all, the event was well attended by the private sector of well meaning individu-als, highly respected in their various fields. It began at 11am sharp and was over by 3pm after which sumptuous lunch was served and a few lucky ones got to meet President Clinton and take pictures with him. I believe this process has opened doors and created platforms for more unsung heroes to be celebrated in future. We look forward to the 19th THISDAY Awards!

EDITOR RUTH OSIME

STYLE CORRESPONDENT FUNKE BABS-KUFEJI

STYLE CORRESPONDENT KONYE NWABOGOR

STYLE CORRESPONDENT MOJI DANIEL-ALLEN

STYLE CORRESPONDENT AYODEJI ROTINWA

GRAPHICS/PRODUCTION ALEX OVIAZEE

ART DIRECTOR OCHI OGBUAKU II

HEAD, PRINTING PROD. OBI AZURU

Style Team

Contributors

Photographers

RUKAYAT MOMODU

EDIRIN OKUMAGBA

FOLARIN ODUBEKO

ABIODUN AJALA

KUNLE OGUNFUYI

MUBO PETERS

AKINWUNMI IBRAHIM

THISDAY Style Vol. 17, No. 6522 Sunday, March 3, 2013

The 18th Annual THISDAY AwardsHonouring Mind Moulders, Lifetime of Meritorious Service to Humanity

The town of Abeokuta, Ogun State, was stirred, 26th February 2013, when a legion of Nigeria’s aristocracy, occupants of the corridors of power, captains of industry; Ogun State’s

highly revered sons and daughters, of whom she is most proud; the odd celebrity and two former presidents, President Bill Clinton, 42nd President of the United States of America and Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, two-term President of Nigeria, came together to celebrate the occasion of the 18th edition of the prestigious and highly acclaimed THISDAY Awards. The event was hosted by the Governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, honouring the country’s finest teachers and lifetime achievers.

The venue was the hallowed chambers of June 12 Cultural Centre, an impressive monument to the now storied date, indelibly etched in Nigeria’s history and unrecognized electoral triumph of Ogun State’s greatest export and shining star, even in death, M.K.O. Abiola.

The ceremony kicked off with Publisher/Chairman, THISDAY Newspapers, Nduka Obaigbena, making opening remarks in which he saluted Ogun State, for being the home of journalism (Nigeria’s first newspaper, Iwe Iroyin originated from there) and the cradle of education in the country. These he said, were the impetus to arriving at the choice of Abeokuta as the host city for this year’s edition of the awards (after having considered other cities such as Port Harcourt and Asaba) as the nation’s best teachers were being honoured. He also gave special

mention to the work of Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo who owns a Presidential Library headquartered in Abeokuta, the first of its kind in the country. Mr. Obaigbena then touched on the issue of security and challenges we face and the need for us to work collectively.

Closing his speech, he then introduced to the stage, for the ceremony’s keynote speech, President Bill Clinton.

THe AwArDee PANeL The panel heads who oversaw the nomination/selection of the recipients of the Nigeria’s Best Teacher Awards were former Vice President of world Bank, Oby ezekwesili and Fola Adeola, former C.e.O., Guaranty Trust Bank. They intimated all present as to how they went about the process. readers of THISDAY Newspapers were asked to nominate teachers worthy of the award. These nominations were then reviewed exhaustively by the panel which whittled the number from thousands, down to 750 and then 100. These 100 names were then returned to a reader panel, online, for final selection, out of which 15 were picked for the award.

Both panel heads stressed that each teacher was eligible for the award by virtue of being one and that every teacher did deserve an award but to find the most outstanding the criteria was simple- how has the teacher impacted the student’s learning outcome? It was via this yardstick and overwhelming feedback expressing the same point, that the final 15 recipients were selected.

B Y A y o d e j i R o t i n w A

Oby EzEkwEsili

FOla adEOla

‘’If we could make available universal

education without divisive feelings,

to seize today’s empowering

technology, the world’s brightest

days lie ahead.”

President Clinton did not at all mince words,

basing his speech on the world’s most-talked-

about, hotly-discussed event- the age and

advancement of technology- and education.

First showing his appreciation of THISDAY

Awards and its mandate of celebrating what

is good about the country, he delved into the

issue at hand. He stressed that we, as a people,

can only increase our income and prosperity by

reducing our ignorance. ‘’Economic power will

go to those who maximise the opportunity of

education’.’ -in this age, ignorance of technology

and the opportunities it can procure. He

enjoined all present to key into technological

empowerment stating that we live in a time

where if one can be sufficiently educated, one

will overcome. Continuing, he also noted that

education will also bridge cultural and political

divides, a matter quite particular to Nigeria.

He then gave a sterling example of this. His

foundation, Clinton Global Initiative, holds a

competition every year sponsored by Hult

Business School in which universities are set

the task of coming up with ingenious ideas,

solutions for world problems. In one edition

of the competition, a New York University

campus based in Abu Dhabi won. The group

that represented the campus that won

President Bill Clinton, On Education and Technological Empowerment THISDAY Style

Vol. 17, No. 6522 Sunday, March 3, 2013

consisted of students of India and Pakistan,

China and Taiwan (these pairs of countries

have a history of deep-seated conflict) The

students, President Clinton, stressed were as

a result of their education, able to co-operate

with one another, see beyond the historical

impasse between their countries and find

solutions, proffer positive, world-changing

ideas. To buttress his point, he then borrowed

a quote from 2-time Nobel Prize Winner, E.A.

Wilson “The Earth has always belonged to co-

operators…’’

At the close of his speech, President

Clinton was engaged in a short interview

session by Mr. Obaigbena and Senator

Ibikunle Amosun, Governor of Ogun State.

In answering their questions, he espoused

that Nigeria is a country with great potential

and listed the problems of insecurity, which

were, in his opinion, plaguing the country-

mismanagement of oil resources, poor

management of the North-South region

economic imbalance and brain drain. He

opined that if the Northern region could be

brought up to speed in terms of economic

progress with the South and a divide-the-

pie approach abandoned, which he called

a ‘losing strategy’, prosperity can be shared

by all. He also maintained that if the nation’s

innumerable brilliant minds were retained in

the country instead of remaining abroad, a lot

more development and progress would be

recorded in the country, as a whole. President Bill Clinton, On Education and Technological Empowerment THISDAY Style Vol. 17, No. 6522 Sunday, March 3, 2013

The

The

hONOUReeS

LIFeTIMe ACheIVeRS

Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State and the host, Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State were also awardees on the day. They

were recognized for their achievements in their

These eminent personalities were recognized for their lifetime of dedicated service to the development of our country.

HIS EXCELLENCY, GOVERNOR EMMANUEL UDUAGHAN OF DELTA STATE.

OBA OTUDEKO

Veteran industrialist and chartered accountant, he is a corporate juggernaut that sits and heads several blue-chip

companies including First Bank of Nigeria Plc, Airtel Nigeria

Limited and Honeywell Group.


hONOUReeS

LIFeTIMe ACheIVeRSThese eminent personalities were recognized for their lifetime

of dedicated service to the development of our country.

HIS EXCELLENCY, SENATOR IBIKUNLE AMOSUN OF OGUN STATE

respective states, in the educational sector. Special mention was made of their spirited efforts in making sure teachers are given dedicated care and their remuneration swiftly attended to. Their effort in the foundational levels of education was also especially recognized.

OBA ADEDAPO TEJUOSHO

He is a medical doctor by training, industrialist of note and had

blazed a trail in these professions before his ascension to the

throne.


ALHAJI RAZAQ OKOYA

He is an industrialist, a real estate maven and the Chairman, Eleganza

Industries, a wholly indigenous company that has provided

a means of livelihood for thousands of Nigerians.

ALHAJI IBRAHIM DASUKI

(REPRESENTED)He is a former Sultan of Sokoto, the 18th in history whose stellar

leadership improved the lives and welfare of his people.

LAZ EKWUEMEHis is a name that is

evergreen in Nigeria music industry’s hall of fame. A

renowned musicologist, he has employed music in the

promotion of African culture.


Fifteen teachers were honoured on the day and the selection cut across different levels of education in Nigeria- Primary, Secondary and Tertiary. The teachers were further gifted the sum of N2 Million Naira in recognition of their years of passing on knowledge and moulding minds of the nation’s future leaders. All were profuse in their thanks, expressing heartfelt gratitude on account of being

bestowed with the honour.

NIGERIA’S BEST TEACHERS

Rev Angus FRAseR uzodike nkiRukA eunice (RepResented)

YAkubu dimkA

dAnieL ossAi

A WELL

DESERVED N2,000,000

CASH PRIZE EACH!


HAdizA moHAmmed tHAnivictoRiA JoLAYemi

AHmed moHAmmed bAwA FAskARi

doRotHY ugwu

JoHn o. b. AdeAgA

FRAnk ugiomoH

dotun oYewoLe

cHRistie Ade AJAYi

Reuben mAJekodunmi


Vote of thanks

Senator Ibikunle Amosun, Chief Host of the ceremony and Governor of Ogun State, at the end of proceedings, in

a closing speech, congratulated the Award recipients on their lofty achievement and expressed his gratitude to the Leaders & Company, publisher of THISDAy Newspapers for having brought the event train to Ogun State. He underscored the importance of the state as the home of education which has recorded many firsts in the field- 1st Secondary School in Nigeria was established in 1908, in Abeokuta, the 1st Bible to come to Nigeria, was received in Abeokuta- and has produced many world-renowned national icons such as President Olusegun Obasanjo,

Professor Wole Soyinka, 1st black African Noble Laureate, Prince Bola Ajobola, former Judge of the World Court. He impressed upon all not to lose sight of the symbolism of the Awards ceremony being held in Ogun State, on account of these.

The 18th Annual THISDAy Awards was a memorable occasion for all those who attended. It brought to the fore, persons, who, otherwise, may not gain any adequate recognition, rewarding them for their selfless years of hard work- teachers and celebrated those who have given immeasurably to our development as a nation- lifetime achievers. One can only guess on whom, what sector of our fledging nation, the honour would next be bestowed, come 2014. Till then.


with

AwARD-wiNNiNG

Angus Fraser was born on Saturday April 18th 1931 into a modest country home, in St. Vincent and Grenadines at Cane Grove house in the Buccamount Valley. he started schooling at Clark Primary School, and then went to St. Vincent Grammar School where he would later convert from his Anglican faith to Catholicism. he moved to the neighboring trinidad and tobago where he attended Mount Saint Benedict Secondary School located in tunapuna, way up in the mountains. From Mount Saint Benedict Secondary School, which was run by the Benedictine monks, he proceeded to St Mary’s College in Port of Spain, there in trinidad, where he got enrolled for his higher School certificate. this latter school which was run by the holy Ghost Fathers, was to present the young Angus Fraser his inroad into the priesthood. After completing the hSC programme, the young Angus and a number of other youths were now ready to do their novitiate, the primary stage of the long walk to the priesthood. Fraser was sent to begin his Novitiate in a place called Lac Au Saumon (Lake of Simon) in French Canada in the province of Quebec. After three years in Canada, he was appointed to do his “prefecting” as a teacher at his former school where he had done his hSC - St Mary’s College in Port of Spain, the capital of trinidad. After the three years as a prefect, Angus Fraser was posted to holy Ghost College in Dublin, ireland, which was in effect the home of the irish Province of the holy Ghost Fathers. After his theology, he was ordained a Catholic priest with over 30 others on the 12th of July 1959 in the chapel of Clonliffe College.

Angus Fraser’s posting was to the Diocese of Owerri, imo State, Nigeria. he arrived Nigeria on the 7th of March 1961 and was posted to Stella Maris College, Port harcourt. An extremely hard working and principled man, he worked and taught at the college in the daytime - coaching the students in English Language, and later French - and worked as the Bishop’s secretary at night. Nine years was spent in this dual capacity before Father Angus Fraser got posted to the holy Ghost College in Radlett, England. it was a holy Ghost College located in the north of London intended for use by holy Ghost seminarians. Fraser was the bursar in charge at Radlett where he was until after the Nigerian Civil war. he got a visa to return to Nigeria in July 1971. On his return, he was posted to Mt. St. Gabriel’s Secondary School to serve as the principal where he has remained till date. Many of his staff and former students attest to the fact that they act in several ways today only because of Fraser’s exemplary leadership. they attend mass regularly, say the rosary, share good humour, abstain from being bossy and domineering, all because they see these attributes in Angus. they are also prudent, considerate about other people who are less privileged, diligent in their endeavours, interested in reading widely, all as a tribute to Angus. it is commonly said that no one ever met Angus Fraser and remained the same. Style Correspondents FuNkE BABS kuFEJi and kONyE ChELSEA NwABOGOR caught up with him at the just concluded 18th Annual thiSDAy Awards ceremony where he received an award and spoke about his love for the teaching profession.

AngusFrAserAngusFrAser

AN ENCOuNtER

When did you come to Nigeria?I came to Nigeria on the 11th of March 1961, a year after the independence.

Was your sole purpose here to teach?Yes, it was. I was posted here as a Holy Ghost father to teach and I have been

doing that till date. The first nine years of my stay here was spent at Stella Maris College in Port-Harcourt, and then thereafter I was posted to Makurdi in Benue state to Mount Saint Gabriel secondary school to serve as the principal. I started work there on the 1st of July 1971 and I have been there ever since.

What were some of the challenges you faced when you first got here?

I would start by saying I have been teaching elsewhere before I got here, so it wasn’t particularly difficult. But one thing I noticed here was that the students in Nigeria were very keen on learning and acquiring knowledge. I like Nigeria and over time, I have really

enjoyed my stay here.

How were you able to cope with the change in culture?

Well, I am from the Caribbean and 95% of the population in St. Vincent is of African descent.

During my primary education I was the only white person in my class. Our people are all originally of African descent so there wasn’t such a huge difference at all. It might surprise you to know that I feel more at home here in Nigeria than I do in England or in America.

Were there times when you were tempted to run back to your country?

(Laughs) No, not at all. I do go back from time to time to visit but whenever I am away

I always look forward to coming back home to Nigeria.

What advice do you have for young people who intend to take up teaching as a profession?

I would advice them to regard teaching as a vocation rather than a job. They should have a genuine passion for imparting knowledge to the young ones and also should do everything in their power to do let the children imbibe the knowledge they have. Most importantly, from time to time they should go for more training to refresh themselves.

What do you think is the one challenge education faces in Nigeria?

The biggest challenge we face here is that most of our schools lack proper infrastructure, for instance properly equipped laboratories for science classes. We also need good teachers, not just teachers who need a job, but teachers who are ready to teach.

How do you feel about this Award today?I feel elated and overjoyed. I don’t think I

am worthy of this award but I am indeed very grateful.


Our Fair ladies

These women of high style standing were stately and prim in bedazzling floor-length attire worthy of the Oscar red carpet. They brought a certain pizzazz, balancing out

nicely the heavy indigenous presence

Muka NwOkedi

drapes are forever!!! This is silk elegance

at its finest. Tres bien!!!

MiSS OkOya

it takes a daring diva to pull off an all white outfit. From the peplum to the perfectly matching accessories, she

rocked this look to perfection.The red lip colour is also a

nice addition.

eugeNia iwegbu

This ankara and velvet combination although a bit unusual is winning! The embellished top is something to admire.

aNgela adebOye

This navy blue-black lace dress… there aren’t enough

superlatives to describe. The choice of earrings and

cuff is ace. This is award ceremony magic!!!


by KONYe NWaBOGOR & RuKY salaKO

OreZi eSieVO

we like the subtle war of prints going on here. it

may seem a bit too much at first glance but on closer

inspection, it meshes nicely.

STephaNie Okereke

This is one fierce bodycon that is hitting all the right

notes. The lace cover of her décolletage is nothing short of style genius.

NiNa agwuNa

This floor-length lace number is as prim as it is alluring. The chunky earrings are a beautiful

added touch.

rONke ShOkeFuNOur african Queen!!! The camera doesn’t

even do justice to the craftsmanship that’s going on with her

dress. we are in awe!

biMbO OkOya.an

effortless, yet classy look. a very wise choice

on the big waist belt. Not forgetting the beads well

seated on her neck. good job ma’am.


F a c e s a t t h e e v e n t

BUKOLA OLAPADE

YOmi Finnihms OLOKPADE

ABAnDE

iTOPE EGhAGhA & ChiKE OGEAh

TUnJi OLORin ADEBAYO FARiERELU DOsUnmU

OBY EZEKWEsiLiDUROJAYE

mR & mRs YUsUF TUGGAR & mOhAmmED CiROmAYEni KUTi

shinA & niChOLE WiLLiAms


LAnRE TEJUOshOmOJi TEJUOshO

ALhAJA OKOYA, shADE OKOYA & DUPE OGUnTADE WOsiLAT sERiKi

FiRsT LADY OF OGUn sTATE, OLUFUnsO AmOsUn

OLUsEGUn OsOBA

mRs OLUsEGUn OBAsAnJO

OLUsEGUn OBAsAnJO


sEGUn ADEsEGUn , KUFORUJi OLUBi & sURAJ ADEKUnBi

ThE OLORis OF OBA TEJUOshO

KAYODE AKinKUGBE

GBEnGA OTEnUGA

imOR OYEWOLEOLUmBE AKinKUGBE sEYi ADEGOROYE

YEmi OGUnBiYi & mR shOYinKA

OYE hAssAn ODUKALE

ChiKE mUsTAPhA

BEnnETh

OREZi EsiEVO


ms OGUnsAnYA

D.D AmODU & OKOYE iKEmEFUnA

miss ABiOLA

TUnJi OLORinTEJU PhiLiPs

sAm AmUKA

ABDULsAmED DAsUKi

WALE ABODERinBimBO AshiRUFOLA ADEOLA

TUnDE AYEni & JOhn DARLinTOn

LinUs iDAhOsABELLO mACCiDO

Faces at the event

EniOLA BELLO & iJEOmA nWOGWUGWU

ABiOLA OTUFALE & FRED ARmAnD

OLAWALE shiTTU & OLAiDE OshiFEsO

KAYODE KOmOLAFEGBOLADE shOmUYiWA, miKE OKEKE & YUsUF OLAniYOnU GBOYEGA RAnsOm KUTi

OLUsEGU ODUBELA

OLUmBE AKinKUGBE

TUnJi AmBimBOLA RUTh OsimE

sTYLE TEAm

Royals FatheRs oF the Day

DAGBUREWE OF iDOWA & ELEPE OF EPE

OBA T.O ADEBAYO & OBA sAmUEL OLADELE

AWOJALE OF iJEBU LAnD & OLOWU OF OWU EGBA

ALAKEOF EGBA LAnDOLU OF isiWO

ALAPERU OFB iPERUOniTORi OF iTORi

Thisday Awards 2013

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