Winners have emerged in the annual Gani Fawehinmi Impact and Integrity Awards (GFIIA)Impact and Integrity Awards (GFIIA), which was held on Sunday, December 10, at the Colossus Hotel in Ikeja, Lagos.
The Gani Fawehinmi Award which is in its sixth year was organised by the Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre), and supported by the MacArthur Foundation.
According to HEDA, “The award aims to encourage, promote, celebrate and protect the uncommon principles of openness, honesty, probity, accountability and transparency in public and private life and whistleblowing to deserving persons and bodies.”
The ceremony was preceded by a lecture, titled: “Corruption, Transparency, Accountability, and Good Governance: A Review of the Current Socio-Economic Challenges and Reality in Nigeria,” by Professor Omotoye Olorode.
Human rights lawyer Femi Falana, commended HEDA for sustaining the award on an annual basis, noting that the award is a way of encouraging people and a way of challenging the awardees.
Falana highlighted the need for Nigerians to continue to speak up at this period of economic hardship in the country.
Also present at the event are, Dr Muiz Banire SAN, Mr Femi Aborisade, Wahab Shittu SAN, Dr Tunde Akanni, Mr Wale Adeoye, amongst others.
Dr Tajudeen Odetayo, a former Rector of Osun State Polytechnic, Iree beat two other nominees Ojo Aderemi Ayotunde and Saheed Ololade to emerge winner of the Outstanding Integrity Awards.
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Elated Odetayo expressed happiness emerging as the winner of the category and urged the organisers to continue at it, noting that it is a way of encouraging the youths.
Investigative journalist, David Hundenyin won the Valuable Whistle Blower category, defeating the only contender comrade Ibrahim Ali.
Dr Oludare David Adetoro won the Nigeria in Diaspora award category while the Outstanding Impact Award which also had three nominees Michael Awo Ejeh, James Chijioke Ume, and ACP Mailafia Yakubu was won by James Chijioke Ume, the publisher of TheWhistler.ng.
Ume, who won the award for his philanthropic works, said: “The award stands for so many things to me. One of which is a call for service.
“It also shows that no matter the little things you do for humanity, people are watching, and they are recognising the things you are doing.
“It also means that you must monitor every one of your activities, and everything you are doing, because people are seeing it, and they are observing you and taking records.”
Michael Awo Ejeh said he felt great to be part of the nominees who also got awarded, he urged the organizers to sustain the tempo and seek more partnerships so the award will have a larger spread.