RSG Honours Secondus, Sirawoo, Others

The Rivers State Government has honoured the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, National President of Sports Writers’ Association of Nigeria (SWAN), Honour Sirawoo, and some military and para-military personnel who died in active service in defence of the state.
The state government also honoured distinguished individuals who have contributed to the development of Rivers State.
Among those who received the honours were the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Ikuinyi-Owaji Ibani and former president of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Okey Wali (SAN).
The three of them alongside 17 others received Distinguished Service Star of Rivers State (DSSRS).
The honours were bestowed on the awardees by the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike during the State Honours and Awards 2018 at the Alfred Diete-Spiff Civic Centre, Port Harcourt on Democracy Day.
Wike said the service personnel honoured by his administration were those who died in active service between 2015 till date.
He said that the personnel were drawn from the Nigerian Air Force, Nigerian Navy, Department of State Service, Nigerian Army, Nigeria Police and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps.
The governor said: “We are honouring those who lost their lives in the course of securing our beloved state. It is because of their sacrifices that we are seated here today.
“They laid down their lives to fight criminality in this state. These are true heroes”.
Wike said that the Rivers State Government would support the families they left behind, and promised that the support from the state government would be passed to the families through their respective services.
Significantly, Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike recognised a voluntary selfless traffic warden, Mr Friday Opurum.
The governor said the recognition of Opurum was to encourage others to invest their time and resources to develop the state.
Other prominent Rivers indigenes were recognised posthumously by the Rivers State governor.
Responding on behalf of the honourees, National Chairman of PDP, Prince Uche Secondus praised Wike for working for the development of Rivers State.
He expressed happiness that the recognition from the Rivers State Government cuts across all levels of the society.
Secondus reiterated that Wike was in the state to develop all component parts and the people, and revealed that development has reached all local government areas of the state.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Rivers State Honours Advisory Committee, Chief Ferdinand Alabraba had said that the honourees were selected for their impeccable service to Rivers State.