Oasis Magazine Awards 18 persons For Contributions To Societal Development .. Says It is A Celebration of Patriotism, Greatness

In recognition of their invaluable contributions to Delta State and Nigeria as a whole, the management of Oasis Magazine, recently, presented an award of excellence to 18 distinguished individuals in its maiden award series titled ” 2017 Distinguished Nigerian Awards, DISNA”

Those awarded are the; the Orodje of Okpe, HRM Orhue 1 Major General Felix Mujakperuo; Engr. Dele Omenogor; Bishop Dr. Curtis Fianu; Hon. Rambi Ibrahim Ayala, Member, House of Assembly, Gombe State; Rev. Simon-Peter Odogboro; Operation Manager, Newlook Nigeria Limited and Public Relations Officer, Police Community Relations Committee, PCRC, Chief Raphael Uwalaka; the State Coordinator, Committee for the Defense of Human Rights, CDHR, Comrade Moses Taiga; CSP Anietie Eyoh, DPO, B DIivision, Warri; Chief Dr. Felibens Okoro, UPU Branch President, Rivers State; Rev. Fr. Christopher Ekabor among others.

Presenting the award in Abraka during the Oasis Magazine 2017 Distinguished Nigerian Awards, DISNA event to the awardees, the Publisher of Oasis Magazine, Pastor Dan Umukoro, said the award ceremony was a way of celebrating greatness and patriotism.

He said he was not giving awards to people because he felt like doing it, but because the awardees deserved it, noting that there was need to encourage and motivate members of the society who are contributing meaningfully to societal advancement.

The publisher urged the awardees not to perceive the award as the end of the road, but a call to do more for society, even as he called on well-meaning Deltans and Nigerians to look for ways to improve the nations human capital development.

Responding, one of the awardees, the Delta Central Coordinator, Committee for the Defense of Human Rights, CDHR, Comr. Efemena Umukoro, who was awarded based on his human rights activism, thanked Oasis Magazine for finding him worthy of the award, saying that he never knew the management of the magazine have been monitoring his activities.

He said : ” When the publisher called me to inform me of the award, I thought it was just a way of collecting money from me because award presentation has become a business venture in Nigeria, so; I asked him to give me three reasons why I deserved the award or else I will decline.

” And by the time he finished explaining to me, I decided to receive the award because I knew I deserved it. Life is indeed a mystery, you know, as a human rights activist we are not paid, rather, we use our personal resources to fight for the rights of the defenseless and oppressed and I thank God for this opportunity.”

“I want to use this opportunity to call on well-meaning Deltans to see how they can affect the lives of the poor and defenseless. You must understand that the opportunity God has given to you as an individual is an avenue to touch the lives of others and that is what has kept me going and I remain thankful.”

He said award is an avenue to work harder and as such; he would do everything humanly possible to double his efforts in human rights activism.

Another awardee, Capt Jacob Ovweghre, thanked the organisers for the award, assuring that it would spur him to do more for the society.