Akwa Ibom Governor, Chief Godswill Akpabio has bagged the 2013 “Nigeria News Man of The Year Award” by Nigerian Pilot newspapers and Newsworld magazine just as Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, Delta State Governor, got “The Man of the Year Award” and Dr. Gabriel Suswan, Benue State Governor, bagged “The Governor of the Year Award”.

Others awardees are FCT Minister, Alhaji Bala Mohammed, for “Life Time Achievement” and Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, Minister of Petroleum Resources, as “Woman of the Year”.

The award ceremony which took place yesterday at Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Abuja, with the organisers explaining that the awards were in acknowledgment of the contributions of the recipients towards the development of the Nigerian nation.

Congratulating other awardees, Chief Akpabio thanked the Nigerian Pilot for maintaining the criteria of selecting the awardees without undue influence, stressing that it gives hope to the continuation of the Nigerian project based on the will of God for unity and progress.

He said the award was in recognition of commitment, hard work, passion and deep sense of service to good governance in the country.

Governor Akpabio dedicated the award to Akwa Ibom children rescued from child labour from various parts of the country to becoming beneficiaries of the free and compulsory education programme of the state.

He invited investors to explore the rich potentials of the state by coming to confirm the extent of development and transformation.

The governor said the award would spur more anger in him for the development of the state, noting that his administration has made tremendous achievements in the areas of road infrastructure, health sector and education, among others.

•Photo shows Akpabio and Uduaghan.