Kwara honours Idiagbon, Saraki Snr, Yekini, other achievers

Kwara State Government has honoured a number of its celebrated achievers and unsung heroes including former Chief of Staff Supreme Headquarters, Gen Tunde Idiagbon, former Senate Leader, Olusola Saraki, and football legend, Rashidi Yekini.

It was at a well attended awards ceremony held last where Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq said the awards underlined his administration’s efforts to promote excellence, hard work, patriotism, inclusion and sustainable development.
The awards came under various categories, such as the Lifetime Achievements’ Awards and Posthumous Awards that featured some of Kwara’s finest breeds and legends of all time from different areas of life.
Winners in some other categories got mouth-watering prizes, including new exotic cars presented to six winners such as the overall best teacher, overall best worker in the health sector, best supporting officer in security sector, best para-athlete, and best athlete. Overall Best Student got N500,000, while a few others in some other categories got varying monetary prizes.
The stars of the Lifetime Achievements and Posthumous awards’ categories were former Chief Justice Alfa Salihu Modibbo Belgore; former head of secret police General Abdullahi Adangba; Dr. Amuda Aluko; late Chief Josiah Olawoyin; founder of Okin Biscuit and foremost educationist Emmanuel Adesoye; former Senate Leader Olusola Saraki; first lawyer in northern Nigeria AbdulGaniyu Folorunsho Abdul-Razaq, SAN; living music legend Jayegbade Alao; former Central Bank Governor and Special Adviser to the President on Economic Matters Dr. Sarah Alade; the late Ahman Patigi; the late Chief Judge of the Federal High Court Justice Mahmud Babatunde Belgore; the late Governor Mohammed Alabi Lawal; the late Gen. Tunde Idiagbon; late General Abdulkareem Adisa; late Gen. Lasisi Bamigboye; first Professor of Geology in Africa Prof. Mosobalaje Oyawoye; the late former Minister of Health Alhaji Yahya Madawaki Orioko; former Governor Shaaba Lafiagi; former Governor Cornelius Adebayo; winner of an international academic award Prof. Abdulrazaq Abdulmajeed Alaro; founder of Kam Holdings Alhaji Kamoru Ibitoye Yusuf; founder of Al-Hikmah University Alhaji Abdulraheem Oladimeji; former Vice Chancellor of FUT Minna Prof. Suleiman Adeyemi; Prof. David Babalola; former Minister Amina Ndalolo; Ambassador Zara Omar; and the late football icon Rashidi Yekini; among many others.
The two categories had at least 50 great recipients honoured for their impact in Kwara, Nigeria, and the world.
Several of the awardees were present at the maiden stately event, while many others were represented by their children, wives, families, and friends.
The governor personally presented the two major categories, while other dignitaries presented the others amid interludes of short videos featuring the strides of the administration across various sectors, especially health, education, and safety nets for the poor.
The night saw Kwara honour many of its development partners (UNICEF, WHO, World Bank, ActionAid Nigeria, etc), firms and individuals, who have done so well for themselves and for the state for many years — a category which the First Lady, Olufolake AbdulRazaq, presented.
The Radio Kwara, long known for its quality broadcast and its being a longstanding legacy of the state, won the medal in the media category that had the NTA and TVC as contestants.
The award ceremony had quality attendance. The hall was filled to the brim, with guests comprising senators, members of the House of Representatives, judges, cabinet members, royal fathers, captains of industry, members of the diplomatic corps, senior civil servants, security commanders and prominent politicians among others.