Chairman of the Tribune titles and wife of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Chief Mrs HID Awolowo, has revealed that the Ondo State governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, won the Tribune’s title 2011 Governor of the year award because of his selfless and purposeful leadership compared only to those of her late husband, reference and example of progressive politics.
Mimiko won the Governor of the year 2011 by the Tribune title being chaired by the widow of its founder Chief Obafemi Awolowo at a grand event at the Abuja Sheraton Hotels Thursday last week.
The event which has been popularly adjudged grand was graced by eminent personalities including the Senate President David Mark who also won an award, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mallam Sanusi Lamido sanusi among other personalities.
Mrs Awolowo said Mimiko was so honoured among his peers because he is one among equals that has demonstrated in no small measure that he could replicate the progressive and people oriented ideas of her late husband whose selfless contribution to the lives of the people using the instrument of public office remain immeasurable.
She announced to the gathering at the Sheraton Hotels Abuja venue of the Award presentation that Dr Mimiko is far ahead among the few mandate custodians who are really toeing the line of chief Awolowo in respect to commitment to public service, formulation and implementation of people oriented programmes.
Among the many feats performed by Mimiko, the Tribune chairperson mentioned the humanitarian gesture of the governor to the female folk through his government’s free medical treatment for pregnant women through his caring heart programme tagged Abiye.
The philanthropic programme Mrs Awolowo mentioned has drawn global attention as the World Bank has benchmarked it for the African Continent adding that the Abiye programme of the Ondo state governor has demonstrated that where there is a will there is a way.
Mimiko, she stressed, has showed that there are still some people who can be trusted with power thus registering her optimism to the effect that “the nation shall continue to produce noble men like the Ondo State Governor who will take us to the place of destiny”
His Niger state counterpart, Alhaji Aliyu at the event praised the Ondo State governor for standing out among his peers, stressing that the governor is leaving his footprints on the sand of time, Aliyu urged Mimiko not to be bothered about manipulators who are plotting against him saying that it is obvious the governor is loved and has the support of his people.
Former Senate President, Adolphous Wabara also described Mimiko as a world class administrator and an emerging political leader.