A few distinguished Nsukka
personalities
recently received the NPM President's Award for Patriotism. Below are
excerpts from their citations...
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Hyacinth Ugwu Ezema's citation
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Mr Ambrose Okoyeuzu's citation
Citation on Mr.
Hyacinth Ugwu Ezema
Some people are born
with silver spoons in their mouths, others hold onto wooden spoons,
yet others are not lucky to be born with any spoon at all. Yet even
with no spoon in their mouths at birth, some people propelled by their
antecedents, rise to the top by dint of hard work, perseverance,
discipline, focus and enterprise. Such is the story of the life of
this man, our distinguished awardee for Patriotism.
Born on 5th December
1936 to the humble family of Mr and Mrs Ezema, he hails from Ozi, Edem
in Nsukka LGA of Enugu State. The apple of his parents’ eyes, he grew
up in Edem Nsukka, Iwollo and Lagos. His love for education as he grew
up as a child knew no bound. He attended Louredes Training College
Iwollo and Wosley Tuition House between 1956 and 1962 where he
obtained his Teachers Grade 2 Certificate as well as his GCE “O” and
“A” levels respectively. Thereafter from 1963 to 1966 he studied
Business Administration at University of Lagos, Lagos Nigeria
graduating with an Honorary Bachelor’s degree in 1966. He also
qualified as a chartered stockbroker in 1997. He is married with
children. As a young man of those good old days, he started work as a
teacher from 1960 – 1963 when he played his part in helping to mould
the characters of the young ones.
Like most people in the
then Eastern Nigeria, his career march was temporarily suspended by
the civil war during the period 1967-1970 when the battle to stay
alive was of more significance than the drive for a life career. Upon
cessation of hostilities in 1970, he commenced work in Afribank as an
Officer Trainee rising through the ranks to the positions of Branch
Accountant in 1971, Aba Branch Manager in 1975, Benin Area Manager in
1981 and Area Manager North and later North East in 1982. He was
promoted to the positions of AGM Foreign Operations in 1984, SAGM
Branches network in 1986 and Deputy General Manager Corporate and
Lagos in 1988. He was subsequently elevated to become the General
Manager Corporate and Lagos Branches in 1991. His is a story of one
success after another as he left his footprint anywhere he went
prompting his fast and unimpeded promotion in one of the major and
most successful banks in Nigeria.
This awardee is widely
traveled and has attended many international (and local) seminars and
workshops in Zurich Switzerland, India and Liberia in banking,
agricultural credit and strategic planning in course of his work.
Notwithstanding the catalogue of his achievements, he could not
suppress the desire for independence and entrepreneurship, which
started burning in him as he was to establish Dependable Finance Ltd
in April 1991 and became its 1st Managing Director. In the same vein
and consequent upon the success story of Dependable Finance, he
established Dependable Securities Ltd in 1996 and became its 1st
Managing Director. These two (2) financial institutions quickly made
their marks in the financial sector drawing from his vast experience
and expertise as an astute banker and administrator built over the
years in the industry. In course of his years, he has made a mark as a
true patriot recognising the need to serve the people and humanity
rooted in a strong Christian upbringing. With all the bank failures in
Nigeria in the recent past and the roles played by the executives, our
man has been extolled severally for his part in keeping the financial
system healthy, demonstrated in a number of ways. During his time, he
led the strategic planning team of the Afribank Branches Operation,
which put the bank as the most profitable bank in the country at the
time. A pioneer of many sorts, he pioneered rural banking programme, a
policy he initiated in 1978 and from which Nsukka and its people
hugely benefited. He put Afribank Aba Branch on a permanent profit
footing in 1975 and followed up with the East and North East Area
Branches, which were put on sound profitability within 6 months of his
assignment. He reorganised the foreign operations Department of
Afribank and cleared the backlog of bills for collection outstanding
with the CBN amounting to hundreds of millions of Naira in those days.
He has published a book “Treasury Management” in 1994 while “Practice
and Finance of International Trade” is currently awaiting publication.
These achievements no doubt as well as the recognition was because
this awardee as a true patriot exhibited the sterling qualities of
honesty, transparency, hard work and focused on excellence for the
benefit of the larger society and to the glory of Nsukka, his main
constituency.
On several occasions, he
has sponsored a number of Nsukka people on a number of projects not
because he benefited directly or indirectly in any way but only
because those people are engaged in projects that will bring honour
and pride to Nsukka. A champion of Nsukka development, he is believed
to be directly or indirectly responsible for attracting the many banks
and other financial institutions developed in Nsukka which has not
only provided a front for the financial and economic base of the
people but has also provided employment for the people. A confirmed
philanthropist, he is a member of the Rotary Club and has attended
many international conventions eg in San Francisco and Chicago in 1977
and 1980 and uses any such opportunity to join forces with other
renowned philanthropists in other parts of the world to give practical
expression to philanthropic programmes. In his philosophy that charity
begins at home, he has also pioneered many philanthropic endeavours
for Nsukka in his belief and support for the good people of Nsukka.
Mr.
President, the Award Committee has appraised and recommended the award
of Patriotism to a man whose achievements in industry and enterprise
speak louder than our voices can, a man who genuinely contributes to
improvement of the larger society in a wholly patriotic way, a man who
believes that Nsukka needs to be better in every respect, a man who
draws inspiration from his antecedents to help create a place where we
all can be proud of, a man who is a glowing example to the youths of
Nsukka, Enugu State and Nigeria, yet this man is still so humane and
humble in every respect – a reminder of the quintessential and
sterling qualities which God has endowed an average Nsukka man and for
which we shall all encourage our youths to fully imbibe. Mr President
I present to you a recipient of the 2004 NPM President’s Award for
Patriotism, Mr. Hyacinth Ugwu Ezema. |
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Citation on Mr
Ambrose Okoyeuzu
This awardee, our man, is a popular and
household name in Nsukka. Most people have heard of him, heard of his
good works, yet he neither grew up in Nsukka nor is he an Nsukka man,
but remains a household name. He is one of those who will pass for any
other gentleman on the street, the so-called common man, but indeed he
is a lot more than the image of a very humble, gentle and soft-spoken
man that you conjure up in your mind at your first encounter.
He is a man greatly
influenced by the orthodox belief that things should be done properly
and riches should be acquired not as an end in itself but a means to
an end. He is an epitome of honesty, integrity, hard work, discipline,
focus and enterprise. Born on 30th September 1942 to the humble family
of Mr. and Mrs. Okoyeuzu, he hails from Nimo in Njikoka LGA of Anambra
State. He grew up in Nimo, Alor all in Anambra State, Kaduna and
Nsukka where he currently lives with his family. He attended St.
Bonaventures School Nimo and St John’s Secondary School Alor between
1953 and 1963 for his primary and secondary education where he
obtained his First School Leaving Certificate and West African School
Certificates respectively. Thereafter from 1963 to 1965 he attended
the Airforce Tactical and Training School Erding, West Germany where
he obtained the German Airforce Certificate on Store Management and
Logistics in 1965. As a young man, his first real work was as a
soldier when at 23 he became Officer Commanding Technical Supply
Squad, Nigerian Air Force, Kaduna Airbase a position he held till
1968. He thereafter moved to private enterprise and became a dealer
with Esso Standard Nig Ltd/Unipetrol Ltd in 1971, and subsequently
Ocean and Ocean (OandO) Ltd from 2004. It was his operation as a
petroleum products dealer from 1971 that he came to become popular in
Nsukka.
His popularity stemmed
from the fact that in the dark days of scarcity of petroleum products
when people sold the products at exorbitant prices, he maintained his
sales at the official approved pump prices to the envy of his
competitors and the admiration of his customers. He has served in a
number of Organisations some of which include membership of caretaker
Committee UNN staff school (1991 – 2000), Membership of the Board of
Governors Shanahan Hospital Nsukka (1996 – 2002) and membership of St.
Theresa’s Catholic Development Committee Nsukka (1998 – 2002). He has
been Chairman of a number of other Organisations some of which include
St. Mary’s Nursey/Primary School Nsukka (1996 – 2001), Building
Committee University Of Nigeria Nsukka Staff School (1996 – 2000), PTA
Building Committee UNN Secondary School (1996 – 2000), St. Theresa’s
Station Council (1990 – 1993) and St Theresa’s Station Catholic men
Organisation (2000 – 2003). In his various interactions, he has always
stood out as a good example and a study in transparency, honesty,
patriotism, credibility, fairplay and social justice. For these
qualities, he has bagged many awards from the appreciative public.
Some of his key awards include Merit Award for Best Manager Esso
Standard Ltd (1973), Merit Award Rotary Club of Nsukka District 912
(1985), Merit Award Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU)
(1988), Merit Award Rotary International Rotaract Club District 9145
(1993), Merit Award Nsukka Catholic Diocesan Laity Council for
contributions to the Development and progress of the catholic church
and philanthropism (1993).
Other merit awards
include 40th Anniversary Celebration University Of Nigeria Nsukka for
distinguished community service (2001), Unipetrol Nig Ltd for
outstanding dealership performance and St Paul’s Cathedral Nsukka for
service to society. This awardee has a long list of awards, which
demonstrate how he is appreciated in the larger society by different
Organisations for his works to the generality of the people. In 2004
alone, he has received 2 earlier awards by Christian Trumpet Newspaper
and Nsukka Zonal Citizens Abuja. It is widely evident that our awardee
has made a mark as a true patriot demonstrated in his love to serve
the people and humanity, rooted in a strong belief that wealth alone
is not an end in itself. With all the opportunities to become very
rich through profiteering in the petroleum marketing business and all
the glamour that would await him, he has chosen a lifestyle of
moderation preferring rather to keep only the lawful margin due to his
efforts and demonstrate his love for people and society in a very
practical way. It is noteworthy that this demonstration is visited on
the people of Nsukka who essentially were the beneficiaries of his
largesse. He is indeed a principled man and perhaps the only petroleum
marketer in Nsukka metropolis that sells petroleum products at the
Government-approved pump prices. In an era of erratic and inconsistent
supply of petroleum products, this man reduced substantially the pains
and agonies of people looking for products.
A philanthropist, his
integrity and sense of social order, justice and fair play is
undoubtedly one that evokes admiration and envy. Yet he remains a very
simple man and understands human feelings in a special way in a manner
to underscore the point that honesty is still the best policy. Mr
President, the Award Committee has appraised and recommended the award
of Patriotism to a man whose honesty and integrity is an eloquent
testimony of a true patriot, a man who genuinely contributes to
improvement of the larger society in a wholly patriotic way, a man who
believes that all people deserve to be treated in a just and fair
manner without taking advantage of the weaknesses in our system, a man
who believes that it is possible to create a just society and goes
further to demonstrate this by example, a man who is a glowing example
to the youths of Nsukka, Enugu State and Nigeria, yet this man is
still so humane and humble in every respect – a reminder of the
quintessential and sterling qualities which God has endowed our people
and for which we shall all encourage our youths to fully imbibe. Mr
President I present to you a recipient of the 2004 NPM President’s
Award for Patriotism, Mr Ambrose Okoyeuzu.
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