Seven prominent Edo sons, with six of them from Afenmai land, were on Saturday night honoured by Governor Nyesom Wike in Port Harcourt.
The occasion was the 2022 Rivers State Honours and Awards presentation ceremony.
The prominent Edo sons of Afenmai extraction are a former Edo State Governor and former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole; a former Deputy Governor of the State and one-time Chief of Staff to President Goodluck Jonathan, Chief Mike Aiyegbeni Oghiadomhe; National Vice Chairman (South-south) of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Dan Osi Orbih; a consummate businessman and Chairman of Setraco Construction Company Limited, Chief (Dr) Abu Inu Umoru; and three Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs)- Chief Mike Ozekhome, Chief Ferdinand Orbih and Chief Augustine Alegeh.
On the occasion, Rivers State Governor, Barrister Nyesom Wike, who recognised a majority of the guests delivered his welcome address ex tempore.
Wike employed wisecracks in introducing and describing his relationships with many of the guests and honorees.
For Oshiomhole, Wike said he fought the former Edo Governor and ex national chairman of the APC vehemently. He however apologised, for the second time, in recent times for what happened in the course of their political and electoral pursuit in Edo State.
Oshiomhole sustained his smile while Wike spoke about him. When he stepped up to receive his award, Oshiomhole who donned a black suit with a sparkling white shirt and a tie to match received his Award and thereafter embraced Wike in what would seem the consummation of a new camaraderie.
While Oshiomhole was conferred, along with sixteen other serving and former governors, with the Grand Service Star of Rivers State, Oghiadomhe, Dan Orbih, Inu Umoru and Aleghe were conferred with Distinguished Leaders and Statesmen Award.
Significantly, Chief (Dr) Abu Inu Umoru’s honour, THE CONCLAVE reports, derived from his excellent leadership and administration at the Setraco Construction Company Limited, which had impacted positively on the timeous delivery of infrastructure development projects contracted to the company by the Rivers State Government.
Setraco, according to feelers from government officials, had always delivered on contracts awarded to it ahead of officially agreed completion and delivery times.
Setraco is the only fully-owned Indigenous Construction company that is running neck and neck with the foreign Construction giant, Julius Berger, whose Managing Director, Dr Lars Ritcher, was also honoured along with Chief (Dr) Abu Inu Umoru by the Rivers State Government in the samecaward category.
Ferdinand Orbih and Ozekhkome’s honours were in the Public service category of the Distingusihed Service Stars of Rivers State for being members of the legal team that won the Rivers oil wells legal battle.
The 14-member legal team was led by Joseph Daudu with Ozekhome and Ferdinand Orbih as members. All 14 SANs were honoured.
Stay ahead with the latest updates! Join The ConclaveNG on WhatsApp and Telegram for real-time news alerts, breaking stories, and exclusive content delivered straight to your phone. Don’t miss a headline — subscribe now!
