Foremost industrialist and Chairman of Orange Drugs Group, Chief Tony Ezenna, has expressed happiness at his choice as The Sun Manufacturer of the Year, 2016, saying the award has humbled him.
Speaking when a delegation from The Sun Publishing Limited, led by the Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief, Mr. Eric Osagie, formally presented to him the letter notifying him of the award, Ezenna said he was happy to be recognised, as the award was the beginning of the recognition of the corporate existence of his company in Nigeria.
Ezenna explained that he never accepted awards because of the strings attached, but that The Sun award was different because “it came free of charge.”
He said: “I don’t normally accept awards, because awards here are mostly attached to payments. When you are paying for an award, it means it is not given to you on merit. This award came free of charge and it made us to believe that you must have seen something around us that made you to give us the award.”
He stated that the award showed that there is a company called Orange Drugs, while promising that he and his team would now work harder and run faster so that the excellence seen by The Sun does not change.
“We cherish this award. It is a challenge to work harder. We have accepted the challenge and will sit up to maintain this story of excellence,” he said, explaining with an Igbo adage that it would be a bad story to say “somebody delivered a baby boy only for the story to change later that the boy had turned to a girl.”
Ezenna said he would adjust his programme to personally grace the occasion to receive the award on February 18, 2017 in Lagos, in response to the invitation extended to him by The Sun MD.
Earlier, Osagie explained that the award was given to Ezenna because of his giant strides in the manufacturing industry and his contributions to the nation’s economy.
He said Ezenna’s company had, from its humble beginning, expanded to global brand and, in the process, created thousands of jobs.
The MD said The Sun Board of Editors voted for Ezenna, in recognition of his remarkable achievement, as outstanding entrepreneur and industrialist in Nigeria.
“You are an iconic Nigerian manufacturer, who will go down in history as one of the most successful entrepreneurs of all time. From a humble beginning, as a Chemist apprentice and later a skilled drug salesman, you have, through uncommon determination, courage, hard work and belief in your country’s economic potentials, left indelible marks in the pharmaceutical, personal care, beverage and lighting product lines,” Osagie said.
He noted that the Orange Drug Group’s flagship personal care brand, Delta Soap, had revolutionised the antiseptic and medicated soap market with its unique formulation and distinct packaging.
“In each product category, Orange Drug Group’s brands have vied and conquered impressive market shares that have cumulatively positioned it as an industrial colossus. Today, the Group owns successful brands spread across Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroun and United States of America,” he said.
The MD stated that the Orange Drugs Group’s narrative was a peculiar case in meteoric growth, manufacturing excellence, prudent financial management and creative marketing.
“Your strategic efforts to bringing uncompromising excellence to Nigeria’s manufacturing sector are deserving of outstanding recognition,” Osagie told Ezenna.
With Osagie on The Sun team were the Executive Director, Special Duties, Bolaji Tunji; Editor, Daily Sun, Onuoha Ukeh; General Manager, Marketing & Corporate Services, Mrs. Neta Nwosu and Editor, Special Projects, Emeka Okoroanyanwu.