For recording the highest number of persons to have obtained Permanent Voters Cards, (N71, 000 registered persons), Chairman of Afikpo South Local Government Area, Chief Eni Uduma Chima has been gifted N10m by the Ebonyi State government.
Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State said that the award of N10m was in recognition of the labour of the council management to ensure that so many people registered in the area.
That was on the occasion of the swearing-in of some new appointees of the State government at the New Government House, Abakaliki, yesterday.
Addressing newsmen about the gestures, Eni Uduma Chima said that it was a delightful coincidence to receive the award for Grassroots Development from the Correspondents Chapel of NUJ and the gift from the State government for mobilization of his people for the registration on the same day.
Chima, a two-time member of the State House of Assembly and currently, APC candidate for Afikpo South/North House of Representatives under the banner of PDP, noted that,
“Coming close to an earlier pronouncement of the Governor which carried a monetary award of Ten million Naira to my humble self as the best Local Government Chairman in terms of Continuous Voters Card Registration, it makes it a double celebration today”.
“I have received different awards over time, but what makes the award received from the Nigeria Union of journalists, Ebonyi State chapter very special is because of the calibre of persons involved in organizing and bestowing the award.
The people involved are people who are very well educated, the best in the society, the elite, who have sufficient exposure, and who are in the best position to make an assessment objectively. Each time I receive an award from journalists I’m happy because it means that I’m not only approved and appreciated by the ordinary grass root people but also approved by the elites of the society”, he stated.
“Whatever criteria you used to assess the individual members of the society, you used to find me good to receive this prestigious award. My assurance to all and sundry is that I will continue to strive to deserve these several awards and I will not disappoint the Nigeria Union of Journalists. I will not carry on in such a way that people will say what did you find in this man for giving him one award let alone several awards” (Independent)