In recognition of his outstanding achievements in the area of urban renewal, sustainable cities and provision of basic amenities to the residential areas of low-income earners, Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike has been honoured with the “Global Human Settlements Outstanding Contribution Award”.
Nigeria’s moment of glory peaked in New York City, United States, last Monday night when the Sustainable Cities and Human Settlements Awards (SCAHSA) presented the international award to the governor in the presence of international diplomats, development professionals, high-level administrators and leaders of international non-governmental organisations.
Speaking at the award ceremony in New York, last Monday night, a representative of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Mara Murillo said that the organisation salutes Global Forum on Human Settlements & Sustainable Cities and Human Settlements for having developed the awards and the constituency for which it has been organized.
The UNEP representative congratulated the 23 awardees who were selected for their positive achievements and leadership.
Murillo stated: “The awards recognise their feats which inspire and encourage others to innovate and replicate similar feats”.
The Vice Chairman of Global Forum on Human Settlements & Sustainable Cities, Dr Taj Hamad said all the awardees have made great achievements that merit the awards.
Permanent Representative of The Gambia to the United Nations, Mamadou Tangara urged all awardees to continue to work for sustainable cities across the world.
Ms Mara Angelica of the United Nations Environment Programme lent her voice to the calls for collaboration in developing habitable cities.
In an acceptance speech after receiving the award, Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike pledged that he will continue his landmark projects to improve the living condition of the Rivers people.
He said: “Let me on behalf of the government and people of Rivers State sincerely thank the organisers of this award for the recognition.
“I would also like to commit ourselves to progressively provide infrastructure and social services that will enhance the living standards of all Rivers people on a sustainable basis”, Wike added.
The Tide gathered that there were 23 awards in six different categories.
The Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike received his “Global Human Settlements Outstanding Contribution Award” under the “Individual Initiatives to Advance Sustainable Development Category”.
The award was presented to the Rivers State governor by the Vice President of Global Forum on Human Settlements & Sustainable Cities, Dr Taj  Hamad.
The governor was accompanied to the international award ceremony by his wife, Justice Eberechi Suzzette Nyesom-Wike, two of his children, Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Adama Iyaye-Lamikanra, member representing Port Harcourt Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon Ken Chikere, Edo State PDP Chairman, Chief Dan Orbih,  the former Minister of Sports, Dr Tammy Danagogo, Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Barrister Emma Okah, elder statesman, Prince Emma Anyanwu, and member of the House of Representatives, Mrs Betty Apiafi, among others.
The 12th Global Forum on Human Settlements & Sustainable Cities and Human Settlements Awards Ceremony (GFHS XII) was jointly organised by the Permanent Mission of The Gambia to the UN, the Permanent Observer Mission of the African Union to the UN (AU), the Global Forum on Human Settlements (GFHS), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the University Peace Federation (UPF), the World Association of Non-Governmental Organizations (WANGO) and the Better Cities Institute (BCI).
A video footage explaining the premise upon which Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike received the award lauded him for reducing urban slums and bridging poverty gaps.
The footage further praised the Rivers State governor for his positive leadership, provision of infrastructure and basic amenities.
The 23 awardees were drawn from different countries of the world, including Nigeria, China, Bulgaria, Germany, USA, India and Indonesia.
The event was beamed live on different platforms by dedicated international broadcasters.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Governor of Rivers State, Dr. Ipalibo Harry Banigo and the state Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bro Felix Obuah have hailed the “Global Human Settlements Outstanding Contribution Award” given the Governor Nyesom Wike by the Sustainable Cities and Human Settlements (SCAHSA) at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, describing the state chief executive as an enigma who has continued to surprise his detractors, with his ever rising profile.
In a statement in Government House, Port Harcourt, Banigo said “while the All Progressives Congress (APC) is dissipating its energy in the failed bid to hoodwink Rivers people into believing that the governor was not working.
Wike has continued to dwarf whatever achievements the APC may have claimed to have achieved in the past”.
Banigo said “Governance is about the people and the present administration has positively touched the Rivers people where it matters most, with our lean resources we have been able to deliver top notch infrastructures to our people which, has earned us accolades nationally and internationally, to God be the Glory”.
According to her, Wike’s winning of the “Global Human Settlements Outstanding Contribution Award” under the “Individual Initiatives to Advance Sustainable Development Category” is no mean feat, and congratulated the governor for making the Rivers people proud, while calling on the opposition to join the wining team.
Also speaking, Chairman of PDP, Felix Obuah said the conferment of Global Human Settlements Outstanding Contribution Award on Wike by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (CDGs) in far away United States of America was a proof of the governor’s leadership qualities.
Obuah, in a statement in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital said Wike does not deserve anything less because he has worked hard to ensure that the economy of the state was turned around from the mess it was plunged into by the previous administration.
According to the PDP boss, the good governance and sense of belonging being enjoyed by all strata of the Rivers people are not a happenstance, but a product of self-sacrifice and sound knowledge of management of human and material resources by the state chief executive.
Obuah, however, noted that the joy was not only the award per se, but the fact that the dispassionate world has been watching and has confirmed the landmark achievements of the PDP-led government in Rivers State in just two years in office in spite of the lean financial resources available to the state.
The state PDP chairman while congratulating the governor for the well-deserved award, also enjoined the good people of the state to remain focused and steadfast in their support for Wike and discountenance the snares and deception of the enemies of progress who were not happy that they have been dislodged from lording it over the people for their own self-enrichment.