From Paul Osuyi, Asaba
Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State has bagged the prestigious Order of the Pride of Africa and the 2016 Mandela Medal for Long Walk to Freedom Awards by the International Human Right Commission (IHRC).
This is in recognition of the governor’s commitment towards ensuring that the rights of the people are protected, especially in respect of job opportunities, according to the organizers.
Governor General for Africa, International Commission of Diplomatic Relations, Human Rights and Peace Ambassador for the African Region of the IHRC, Ambassador Joseph Rankin presented the award in Asaba.
Ambassador Rankin said nominees for the award must have made substantial and long-term contributions in furtherance of civil rights, civil liberties, human rights on the African continent.
He said the Mandela Medal is given to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the “advancement of human rights in Africa. The African region headquarters of the International Human Rights Commission, Geneva, Switzerland has established this award to honor and give public recognition to an individual that has made an exceptional contribution to the advancement of human rights on the African continent.
“The Mandela Medal is the pinnacle of human rights recognition in Africa. We are in Asaba city, the capital of Delta State in Nigeria to honour and commend a great achiever who has made an outstanding contribution to the promotion and protection of the human rights embodied in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in other United Nation’s Human Rights instruments.”
He added that the governor was carefully selected by a special committee comprising the General Assembly members of the IHRC and the Economic and Social Council of the International Commission of Diplomatic Relations, Human Rights and Peace, noting that the creation of job opportunities through skill acquisition programme of the state government that will make the beneficiaries millionaires within a decade was laudable.