Silent Heroes Award: Sen. Ned Nwoko, Gov. Ododo, Prof. Edizien, Matawalle, IGP, Others Receive Awards
By Anthonia N Okwuolise, Abuja
The senator representing Delta North in the 10th Senate, Sen. Ned Nwoko was on Saturday 8 June 2024 received Silent Heroes Award, proposed N100, 000 as the new minimum wage for Nigerian workers, he said anything less than 100,000 is an insult on the workers.
Speaking on answering questions from the newsmen at the 6th edition of the Silent Heroes Awards in Abuja, Sen. Nwoko commended the compendium put together by Mr. Sunday Odita, the founder and the organizer of the event.
According to senator Ned Nwoko, he said, “There are so many problems in Nigeria, from the economy to security issues, minimum wage and all of that.
He continued, “If you ask me about minimum wage, I will say that at least, everybody deserves a rise. Even if we say a hundred thousand naira, I will think it is the ideal thing. But look, what can hundred thousand naira do for anybody? Tell me, how many bags of rice can that buy? How many fuel tanks can that fill? So we have to be realistic about our economy.
“Government is meant to provide environment for those who are doing business to do well or create jobs where possible.
“But we must have a minimum wage. It is not very good to put mildly when people are paid minimum wage that is abysmal and they are not able to achieve the basic needs of life.
“So, I think that a minimum wage of 100,000 is not out of place. That should be the beginning.
He added “That kind of amount should be what we should be looking at. Anything less than that is an insult on the civil servant”.
Sen. Nwoko appreciated the Silent Heroes organizer for putting this initiative together, and he advised that one does not need to be a senator or a governor to be honoured.
Sen. Nwoko advised the organizers to look out to those truly silent heroes who are doing greatly in their areas of specialisation, but are no known to the world.
Sen. Nwoko said, “Unfortunately, most of the deserving awardees who are doing great things quietly out there unknown are not here. But how do we get to them? How do you bring them up? You don’t need to be a senator, or a governor to be acknowledged. I am talking about those who are there in private sectors.
They could be security men, they could be drivers, they could be cooks, but they have done so many wonderful things.
He said “this are the people I expect in the future for an event of this nature. Look for them, ask the populace to identify those who have done remarkable things.
” Like someone at the shopping mall who has seen somebody been mocked and goes to defend the person. You know, something uniquely different,” he advised.
However, the Project Coordinator of the event, Mrs. Ozioma Sonia Odita-Sunday earlier in her speech said the aim of the initiative is to “identify and recognize some silent achievers in their own right within our plural society.”
Mrs. Odita said these awardees were nominated carefully. And there are, Dr. Mohammad Matawalle, Gov.Usman Ododo, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, CNS, Admiral Ikechukwu Ogalla, Pro. Leroy Chuma Edizien, as well as Moses Amiebenomo and others.
According to Mrs. Sunday Odita, she said from among hundreds of other recommendations in view of the outstanding contributions they made over the years in their various spheres of life to add value to humanity.
