•Details Of All The Glitz, & Glamour @ The Classy Award
On Saturday 17th, November, 2018, the Board, Management and Staff of Daily Telegraph Publishing Company, Publisher of New Telegraph Newspapers celebrated its 2018 Awards night where excellence and achievements were , celebrated.
This year Awards is the 2nd edition, and it centred on honouring distinguished Nigerians and corporate organizations that had contributed immensely to various sectors in our country.
The New Telegraph is an all-national Newspaper in Nigerian with a circulation of up to 100,000 copies per day, it is a newspaper that targets Nigerians and foreign readers in and around the country’s urban centers, as well as internationally, and aims to provide objective and crises coverage of pressing political and socio cultural issues.
Speaking at the event held at the prestigious Balmoral Centre inside Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, the MD/EIC, New Telegraph, Mrs Funke Egbemode gave welcome address. She appreciated the awardees and spoke on the reason. In her speech.
The Chairman and Board of the New Telegraph, Chairman of this event, Aremo Olusegun Osoba, our Chief host, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu MON, represented here by his lovely daughter, Mrs. NeyaIyere, whose birthday is coincidentally today too, our distinguished awardees from former Vice President Atiku Abubakar GCON, the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, your excellencies the governors of Sokoto, Bayelsa, Delta, Kogi, Kwara, Kano, Captains of Industry, it is with pleasure that I welcome you to the 2018 edition of the New Telegraph Awards.
Most certainly, 2018 has been an eventful year for Nigeria with more downs than ups. It is a year that we would have been justified if we had elected to mope and generally feel sorry for ourselves, our nation. But did anything good happen or is happening in Nigeria? Did the bad obliterate everything good that had happened in Nigeria since November 25, 2017, when we first gathered in this hall to celebrate what is good in our national lives? In the New Telegraph, we answered a resounding yes. There are things to celebrate. There are people worth celebrating. Yes, our nation seems to be careering from one bad situation to an even worse one but if we focus solely on the negatives, we’ll miss all the positives. And that would be tragic and depressing. While we acknowledge our failings and failures, it is important that we acknowledge the good things around us, the people who have made a difference in the past year.
And that, distinguished ladies and gentlemen is the reason and purpose of the New Telegraph Awards. To celebrate what is working. To celebrate those who are making a difference. To highlight our positives. To encourage those, who against the odds, are doing their best to keep our nation moving. As in the words of Winston Churchill: ‘success is not final, failure is not fatal, it is the courage to continue that counts.’ We believe that if we appreciate those who are faithful in little things, they will be encouraged to do more. That is why we are here tonight; to celebrate achievement and achievers, to count our blessings instead of dwelling on our errors.
We have carefully, over a period of months, chosen the personalities we are recognising tonight and as verifiable evidence of our findings, we have put together special publications on the achievements of our awardees on your tables.
To our awardees, the stars of this evening, congratulations and thank you for making out time to personally receive your awards We hope that tonight’s recognition will spur you to strive to do greater things.
To Team New Telegraph that worked for months to make today a huge success, I say thank you and get ready to work harder next year.
My heartiest gratitude is to all of you our guests who chose above everything else to be here to celebrate with us. May your joy always be full. All that said, it is time to enjoy the food, the drinks, the music, the comedy. Welcome to an evening of fun. Welcome to New Telegraph Awards.
As stated earlier by the MD, Funke Egbemode, the Chief Host, Dr. Orji UzorKalu (MON) was ably represented by his lovely daughter, Mrs. NeyaIyere, and she delivered the goodwill message from the Chief Host, her father.
It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to the New Telegraph Awards 2018 – A night where excellence and achievements are appreciated, celebrated and rewarded. I will like to extend a special welcome to the chairman of today’s occasion, Chief Olusegun Osoba, former governor of Ogun State and a chieftain of our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Last year, we gathered in this same hall to honour distinguished Nigerians and corporate organisations that had contributed immensely to various sectors in our country. Today marks the second edition of the annual New Telegraph Awards. Last year’s event was quite colourful and memorable. I have no doubt that tonight’s will be bigger and better as New Telegraph as a newspaper has continued to wax stronger by the day since it hit the newsstand over four years ago.
The event could not have been possible without hard work and dedication of our indefatigable Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief, Mrs. Funke Egbemode and her highly experienced team. They worked tirelessly in the last one year to scrutinize the achievements of many Nigerians and organisations before arriving at the award winners. As the team leader, you have given credence to the saying that: “a lot of hard work comes together to form joy.”
Asfor the award winners, we say a big congratulation to you all. This is awonderful day, a day of celebration, where you have been singled out among manyNigerians by a brand like New Telegraph – Nigeria’s most authoritativenewspapers in Politics and Business for exemplary leadership and adding valuesto various sectors. I urge you not to rest on your laurels and I hope that withthese awards, you will inspire others to know there is reward for hard work anddedication to duty. In the words of the late American footballer, Vince Lombardi:“Let me tell you that winning means you’re willing to go longer, work harderand give more than anyone else.”
To our readers, advertisers and other stakeholders, we sincerely appreciate your loyalty and support. We shall continually strive to sustain our feat in the media space so as to surpass your expectations.
While thanking our guests and other invitees for finding time to honour us and celebrate our awardees, let me assure you that we are going to have a swell time – delicious food, assorted drinks and live band to entertain you. This is a night of celebration. Thank you and God bless.”
After Mrs Neya’s Speech, the video clip about New Telegraph was shown, followed by the presentation of the Awards. Among the Winners of this year’s prestigious New Telegraph awards 2018, is the former Vice President and PDP presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, who won the Political Icon of the decade, Dan Chukwudozie won the Businessman of the Year, Senate President Bukola Saraki won the Political of the year award. Ifeanyi Okowa won Governor of the year on Human Capital Development and Infrastructure, Rotimi Amaechi won the Most Outstanding Minister of the year, former Governor of Lagos State and the current Federal Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola won the Most Outstanding Public Servant of the Year. Abdulsamad Rabiu and Aminu Tambuwa became New Telegraph man of the year. Nsima Ekere won Corporate leadership Award. Seriake Dickson won Governor of the year for his good governance.
Yahaya Bello won Governor of the Year on Security, Dave Umahi won Governor of the year on Agriculture, Empowerment and road infrastructure, Umar Gandiye won Governor of the year on Health & Education. Kwara Governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed also won the Governor of the Year on Youth Empowerment. On the Media Awards Ajibola Ogunsola won Media Icon of the year in print, while Chief Raymond Dokpesi won Media Icon of the Year in Broadcast. Nigeria Gospel Singer, YinkaAyefele won Music Icon of the year award, Shaffy Bello won Actress of the year, while Bolanle Ninalowo won Actor of the Year, and Esther Onyema won Sportsperson of the year (Female).
United Bank of Africa (UBA) emerged as the bank of the year, Access Bank received award for Sustainability, and Diamond Bank for SME-Supportive Bank of the Year.
Transcorp Hotels was rewarded as Hospitality brand of the year, AITED for company of the year, Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) was awarded the Most Productive Government Agency, Adron Properties was not left out as they received award as the Real Estate Company of the year, and last but not the least, Johns Bosco Foundations received award for its Humanitarian.
–SUNDAYADIGUN
