As the Gani Fawehinmi Impact and Integrity Awards (GFIIA) nears the final stage, 21 nominees across the four award categories have been shortlisted for public voting. The voting process, hosted on www.gfa.hedang,org, will close on November 8, 2021. The Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) which is the secretariat for the Award, therefore calls on all members of the public to log in to the platform and vote candidates of their choices across the categories.

In a statement issued in Lagos, HEDA said: “Following the conclusion of nominations, a total of 271 nomination entries were received. After sorting and analysis of nominations, a total of 21 persons were shortlisted for voting in the four categories of the Awards by the independent Committee: six for Outstanding Impact, eight for Outstanding Integrity, four for Valuable Whistle-Blower and three for Nigerians-In-Diaspora Integrity Ambassador.”

Specific links to vote for each category were provided as follows: Integrity - https://gfa.hedang.org/outstanding-integrity-award-nominees/; Whistle Blower - https://gfa.hedang.org/vote-valuable-whistle-blower-nominees/; Impact - https://gfa.hedang.org/vote-outstanding-impact-award-nominees/; and Nigerians in diaspora Integrity Ambassador - https://gfa.hedang.org/vote-nigerians-in-diaspora-integrity-ambassador/.

Providing details, HEDA said, other nominees were not shortlisted for varied reasons including: lack of information to support nomination claims; nominee is known or suspected for corruption; nominee is a dead person; nominee is part of the organisers of the Award, the nominee is connected to HEDA among others.

The organisation added that, once voting is concluded, as usual, the Awards will be publicly presented on Friday, December 10, 2021, to candidates with the highest votes cast in each category while runners up will be issued certificates of recognition.

According to Mr Sina Odugbemi, the Project Manager for the Awards who signed the statement, “Every year, we continue to beat the already high standards that we set for ourselves and we have constantly improved on the processes. Last year, we added Award Lecture to the award presentation.

“This year is even unique as the Award plaque is being designed by a student of the Yaba College of Technology, who won in a fiercely competed process. The students of the department of Fine Arts, were asked to compete to create a unique plaque for the Awards. Ten entries were received and reviewed by the Award team and one of the proposals have been selected with slight modifications.”

The essence of this, Mr Odugbemi added, is to also take the fight against corruption to young people and ensure effective participation of the youth.

“The overall objective of the Awards is to move the fight against corruption beyond the usual naming and shaming, and to step outside the box by ensuring that those who notwithstanding the attractiveness of corruption, bribery and other forms of sharp practices have taken to a life of transparency, honesty and integrity are identified, duly recognized and honoured, as a form of inspiration for greater number of people to follow. This is why HEDA, with the Support of MacArthur Foundation, launched the GFIIA in 2018 to recognise these forthright individuals,” he added.

The Board of the Award is chaired by Prof. Ayo Atsenua and Co-Chaired by Mr Femi Falana, SAN. Other eminent members of the board include: Prof. Itse Sagay, Prof. Uzoguruwa Udombana, Mr Olanrewaju Suraju, Dr Abiola Akiode-Afolabi, Comrade Achike Chude and Comrade Femi Aborisade.

HEDA therefore called on Nigerians both home and in diaspora to take advantage of this opportunity and vote for people of integrity and societal impact for recognition at this year’s awards, even as we continue to fight corruption from all other fronts.

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