By George Ozalla
The All Abuja Residents Association has announced plans to honour Nigerians who have distinguished themselves through outstanding performance, accountability and meaningful contributions to public service and national development.
The National President of the Association, Igwekala Ugomaduefule, said the initiative was intended to encourage responsible leadership and motivate elected and appointed public officials to deliver results to the people they serve.
Ugomaduefule said the Association would identify and recognise the best-performing governor, senator, member of the House of Representatives and minister from each of Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
Outstanding investors and philanthropists residing in Abuja would also be honoured for their contributions to economic development, job creation, community development and national growth.
Ugomaduefule said the award recipients would be unveiled on October 1, 2026, while the formal award ceremony would hold on December 3, 2026, in Abuja.
He explained that Abuja was chosen for the initiative because the Federal Capital Territory accommodates Nigerians from different parts of the country, making it possible for residents to assess the performance of public officials from across the six geopolitical zones.
According to him, the assessment would be carried out without consideration for political, ethnic or regional affiliations.
Ugomaduefule said the initiative was also aimed at changing the practice of waiting until public officials had left office before recognising their achievements.
“The era of recognising people when they are no more in their offices, or when they are no more alive, has come and gone,” he said.
He added that the Association wanted to recognise people who were making a difference in their offices and communities while they were still actively serving.
Ugomaduefule stressed that political party affiliation, personal relationships, popularity or social status would not determine the choice of award recipients.
He said the Association would rely on verifiable achievements, quality of service and the impact of the nominees’ contributions on the lives of citizens.
For members of the National Assembly, he said the assessment would cover the quality and relevance of motions sponsored, legislative interventions, constituency projects and efforts to attract federal government projects to their constituencies.
Governors, he said, would be assessed based on their achievements in areas such as infrastructure, human capital development, healthcare, education, economic growth, employment creation, social development and prudent management of available resources.
Ministers would also be assessed on their performance in their respective ministries, implementation of government policies and programmes and their contributions to national development.
The Association would equally consider investors and philanthropists whose activities had created jobs, supported economic growth, assisted vulnerable communities or contributed to development projects.
Ugomaduefule said the initiative had become necessary in view of increasing public demand for transparency, accountability and responsible management of public resources.
He urged public officials to see their positions as a responsibility to the people and not as an avenue for personal enrichment, stressing that those who distinguish themselves in service should be recognised while their contributions are still fresh.
Ugomaduefule concluded by saying, “Politics is a call for service,” adding that the award initiative was aimed at encouraging public officials and other Nigerians making meaningful contributions to society.
