Senator Akpabio said this in a statement released by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Jackson Udom, shortly after he received the Maiden State Honours Award 2022 as Grand Commander Ebonyi Hall of Fame (GCEHF) for his outstanding service to Ebonyi State and humanity.
Engineer I.K. Ugwuegede, who previously served as the Commissioner of the Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority, went to Abakaliki on Thursday to accept the award on his behalf.
"I thank the government and the good people of Ebonyi State for this honour," said the former governor of Akwa Ibom State. Governor Umahi's steps toward development in Ebonyi State remind me of what I did in Akwa Ibom State from 2007 to 2015, when I unleashed "uncommon transformation" on the state and its people.
The former Senate Minority Leader was also quoted in the statement as saying, "This award will encourage me to continue my contributions to national development and strengthen the bonds between the people of Akwa Ibom and Ebonyi."
Other important people who were honoured include the late former Head of State Sani Abacha, former President Goodluck Jonathan, GCFR, Chief of Staff to the President Ibrahim Gambari (who also represented President Muhammadu Buhari), some current and former state governors, the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami, SAN, Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria Godwin Emefiele, and Inspector General of Police Usman Alkali Baba, among many others.
