The leadership of the National Youth Council of Nigeria, NYCN in Anambra State has felicitated with some distinguished sons and daughters of Anambra State on the conferment of various categories of National Honours on them by the Federal Government.
They were honoured in Abuja, alongside over three hundred other outstanding patriotic Nigerians earlier nominated, by out-gone President, Muhammadu Buhari.
The Anambra personalities include former Commonwealth Secretary General, Chief Emeka Anyaoku honoured as Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger, GCON and a former Governor of Anambra State and immediate past Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, honoured with the Commander of the Order of the Niger, CON award.
Others are the Senator representing Anambra Central at the National Assembly, Uche Ekwunife, who also got the Commander of the Order of the Niger, CON honour and former Minister for Environment, Sharon Ikeazor, who also got Commander of the Order of the Niger CON award.
In a congratulatory message endorsed on behalf of the Anambra NYCN family in Awka, the State Chairman of the Council, Surveyor Comrade Obi Emeka Chukwudi, said the honours speak to how Anambra State and its sons and daughters have contributed to the growth of international and national politics, economy, governance and overall wellbeing.
According to him, the persons conferred with the awards represent in microcosm, the abundant human resources that abound in the state and which when adequately tapped from, can be instrumental to the overall turnaround of the fortunes of the nation.
The Anambra NYCN leader commended the Federal Government, especially the out-gone President Buhari for identifying the awardees and honouring them accordingly, noting that the honours were well-deserved and merited.
It urged the awardees to see the honour as an invitation to greater responsibility towards contributing selflessly to the unity, progress and stability of the country.
Only in these ways, he noted, will they be able to repay the huge honour done to them and also encourage the Nigerians youths o toe the path of patriotism and selflessness.
The message read in part, “The Anambra NYCN congratulates former Commonwealth Secretary General, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, GCON, former Minister for Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, CON and Senator representing Anambra Central at the National Assembly, Uche Ekwunife, CON, former Minister for Environment, Sharon Ikeazor, CON on their awards of honour by the Federal government.
“We, as Anambra Youths rejoice with them and their families, as we hope that the honours will spur them into greater exploits in the service of the nation and humanity.
“We look up to you, distinguished awardees of Anambra extraction and the monumental legacies you have left in the annals of history and it is our hope that you will continue to make yourselves available as role models, for the youths of Anambra State, to learn from your exemplary dispositions.
“This is the only sure way to sustain the continued emergence of responsible and patriotic citizens from the state, for future recognitions and awards.”