The Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, United Bank
for Africa (UBA) Plc, Kennedy Uzoka, was on Sunday night presented
with The Zik Prize for Professional Leadership.
The award was presented by the Secretary to the Government of the
Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, under the chairmanship of Nobel Laureate,
Professor Wole Soyinka at a glamorous event held at the Civic Centre in
Lagos, and organised by Public Policy Research and Analysis Centre(PPRAC)
Uzoka was announced as the winner of the highly coveted award
alongside the Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer at the Nigerian
Communications Commission, Prof Umar Danbatta.
As he applauded the efforts of the organisers, Kennedy Uzoka
said, “The Late Nnamdi Azikiwe is someone to whom I accord great
respect; he is an iconic African statesman (Zik of Africa as he is
fondly called). I am proud to be receiving an award that was first
conferred on the late premier 25 years ago. I dedicate this award to the
staff of the UBA Group in all our 23 countries of operations. They really
are the best.”
Kennedy Uzoka received the award after a thorough,
careful and rigorous selection process. His name was announced by Members
of the Advisory Board, PPRAC, Professor Pat Utomi, and Executive secretary,
Emeka Obasi, who stated that Uzoka was selected as a result of
his outstanding contributions to the development and growth of the Banking and
Financial Services Industry and also for an unblemished record of
service as a banker of international repute.
Apart from Uzoka and Danbatta, other winners in various categories
of public service, good governance, business, and professional leadership
include Senate President Ahmed Lawan; Borno Governor, Professor Babagana Umara
Zulum; Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa; Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde;
SGF, Boss Mustapha; Dr. Stella Okoli amongst others.
As it celebrates the silver jubilee anniversary of the Zik
prize in leadership awards, the PPRAC, organisers of the
award, reminisced that in the last 25 years, some other notable
leaders have been recipients of the prize including: The former President
of Ghana, Jerry Rawlings; former President of Tanzania, Nwalimu Julius
Nyerere; former President of Kenya; Dr. Salim Ahmed
Salim; former President of Namibia, Sam Nujoma; former President of
South Africa, Dr. Nelson Mandela; Former President John Agyekum Kufuor of
Ghana, and President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda.
Other past winners include the former Senate President David
Mark; former Defence Minister, Alhaji Yayale
Ahmed; founder, First City Merchant Bank, Otunba Subomi
Balogun; former President of Liberia, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf; former
Permanent Secretary, Alhaji Ahmed Joda and the Nigerian Central Bank
Governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele.
The Zik Leadership awards is organised by the Public Policy
Research and Analysis Centre (PPRAC) and was instituted 25 years ago, in 1995,
in honour of the first President of Nigeria, Late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, primarily
to encourage and nurture leadership on the African Continent and in the
Diaspora.
United Bank for Africa Plc is a leading Pan-African financial
institution, offering banking services to more than twenty-one million
customers, across 1,000 business offices and customer touch points, in 20
African countries. Operating in the USA, the UK and with presence in
France, UBA is connecting people and businesses across Africa through
retail, commercial and corporate banking, innovative cross-border payments and
remittances, trade finance and ancillary banking services
Embroiled in internal political wrangling since the advent
of the National Reformation Movement (NRM) after the 2018 national elections that
demanded the party leadership to step aside and make way for constitutional
reforms, the leadership of the A…
Sierra Leonean football legend, Mohamed Kallon has disclosed that
he is going to seek legal interpretation of Article 25(3) of the Sierra Leone
Football Association (SLFA) Constitution in order to ascertain why he was
disqualified from the SLFA presidential race.
According to the football legend, the SLFA Constitution which has
the supreme authority that guide the country’s procedures on football and the
2021 SLFA election committee are saying different things on his nomination
procedure.
The Deputy Speaker who doubles as Chairman of Public
Account Committee (PAC) in Parliament, Hon. Segehpoh Solomon Thomas on Tuesday,
2nd February, 2021 stated that the Committee henceforth demands
those Government workers who are in the habit of engaging on social media and doing
nothing on their jobs be sacked.
According to Speaker Thomas, MDA workers are
engaged in social media so much that at the end of the day, they pay little
attention on their work and as a re…
As they prepare for their election in Makeni on
the 26th and 27th of this month, the Sierra Leone
Football Association (SLFA) and others will today face Parliament.
An invitation sent out to members of parliaments
informed that the Committee on Sports will be meeting with the Ministry of
Sports, National Sports Authority, SLFA and other football stakeholders today, Friday,
5th February, 2020 at 10:00 am in Committee Room One.
The reason for the meeting was not stated but
sources fro…
The Executive Director of the Sierra Leone
Maritime Administration SLMA), Mr. Paul S. Massaquoi has recently launched a
new software system that will synchronize both the international and national
registry.
Mr. Massaquoi having assessed the poor system
that was in place for the registration of vessels had made other strides in
rebranding the administration thereby propelling it to other heights.
According to the Executive Director, the major
advantage of the&nbs…
Residents of Rowe Street in the Fullah
Town Community have showered praises on the Minister of Foreign Affairs and
International Cooperation, Nabeela Farida Tunis for her development initiative
within the Fullah Town Community.
The Rowe Street residents expressed
their appreciation through this medium, following the completion of the
rehabilitation of Rowe Street which was personally undertaken by the Minister.
According to one elderly resident
of Rowe Street, Mass…
Secretary General of the main opposition All
People’s Congress (APC) party, Alhaji Dr. Osman Foday Yansaneh, has expressed
anger at the media’s apparent refusal to turn the spotlight on the allegations
of massive corruption made against the government as contained in the Auditor
General’s 2019 Audit report of the accounts of government Ministries,
Departments and Agencies (MDAs) under the watch of His Excellency President Bio
who at his inauguration in April 2018 vowed to hold a zero tolerance …
“I will not tolerate any lawyer or litigant that
will approach me to discuss about cases in my court behind closed doors,” these
were the exact words of the newly appointed Magistrate of Ross Road Court No.
3, Hadiru Daboh when addressing the crowded court yesterday.
He made the above admonishment shortly after
instructing his Clerk, Kelfala Barrie that whenever he mentions a matter for
hearing, he should ensure that all witnesses connected to that matter go out of
the c…
Lawyer defending one Nathaniel Williams and Albert
Williams on a one hundred and thirty million Leones land fraud, Michaela P.
George has been advised by the Bench to go and make proper undertaking for his
client who has agreed to pay back what was due.
The two accused persons on the above action were
arraigned before Magistrate Hadiru Daboh of Ross Road Court No. 3 for Preliminary
Investigation on six count charges of obtaining money by false pretences and
conspiracy co…
The Deputy Minister of Labour, Mr. Lansana Dumbuya who doubles as
the Chairman of the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) in Kambia district has
said that President Julius Maada Bio is a blessed president who since he took
over the reigns of governance a lot of developmental projects is taking place
across the country .
He made these statements this past Friday, 15th
January, 2021 at Lutty village , Samu Chiefdom Kambia during the turning of the
sod for the construction of a state-of-the-art …
The Managing Director/CEO of the United
Bank for Africa Sierra Leone Ltd, Mr. Usman Imam Isiaka last Friday, 22nd
January 2021 at Brookfields Hotel, Kingharman Road in Freetown, encouraged
young entrepreneurs to apply for the TEF programme.
Addressing journalists and young
entrepreneurs at the meeting, Mr. Isiaka said he was excited to be at the
meeting, as they join other UBA Subsidiaries across Africa in promoting the
course of African Youth empowermen…
The Minister of Energy, Alhaji Kanja Sesay has
expressed serious anger over the frequent destruction to government’s
electricity transformers that are being installed in key areas in communities
across the country.
The Minister expressed this anger following the
recent reported suspension of two senior Managers at the Electricity
Distribution and Supply Authority (EDSA), while commenting on the status of the
operation – Restore Electricity Initiative, the Energy Minis…
The new appointees of President Julius Maada Bio
to serve in some key Ministries Department and Agencies (MDAs) will this week,
face the Parliamentary Appointment Committee on Appointment for interview.
Among the new appointees are Dr. Austin Demby, proposed Minister of Health and
Sanitation, Rev Dr. Jonathan Titus Williams, proposed Deputy Minister of
Planning and Economic Development, Dr. Saw-Kpata Hannah, Isata Max-Kyne,
proposed Commissioner at NaCSA, Jimmy Battilo S…
Son of the late President
Siaka Probyn Stevens, Dr Jengo Stevens has declared for the party’s flagbearer
candidacy for the 2023 presidential election. He made this disclosure on Friday
22nd January 2021 at his No. 9 Hill Cut Road residence, west of
Freetown.
According to Dr Jengo
Stevens, he has not written officially to inform the party Secretariat but has
discussed his intention with their Chairman and Leader, Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma
and some friends and family.
Determined to
take a very strong coordinated national challenge to the incumbent Sierra Leone
People’s Party (SLPP) in the party’s bid to retake State House, the main
opposition All People’s Congress (APC) party still leaking its wounds after its
shocking 2018 presidential election lose to now President Julius Maada Bio and has
well ahead of time decided on choosing its 2023 presidential candidate.
Should everything
go according to plan, the process leading up to the party’s election of its …
