A widely acclaimed police officer who is renowned to have never collected a bribe in thirty years of active service, CSP Francis Osagie Erhabor, has been voted as ‘Police Officer of the Year’ in the 2020 Igbere TV Leadership Excellence Awards.
Erhabor, divisional police officer (DPO) in charge of ‘D’ division Itam, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, beat five other nominees — including Frank Mba, Olushola Oyebade, Abba Kyari and Aisha Abubakar — to emerge the winner in a seven-day massive voting by Nigerians via online platforms.
The prestigious Igbere TV Leadership Excellence Awards, recognises and honours the outstanding impacts of leaders across several sectors and industries in Nigeria. The most anticipated 2020 ‘lockdown edition’ is slated for December 10 at the Sheraton Hotels and Towers, in Abuja.
The Award is endorsed by the African Union Economic, Social and Cultural Council (AU-ECOSOCC), an advisory body of the African Union (AU) designed to give civil society organizations (CSOs) a voice within the AU institutions and decision-making processes.
CSP Erhabor was nominated and voted for by Nigerians for his uprightness in the Force. For instance, in the ‘D’ division, which he oversees as DPO, bail is free and no policeman dares take a bribe from community members. His officers have earned the trust of the community for their stand on integrity and this has gained the needed support and collaboration to fight local crimes.
Erhabor is very involved in community projects and mentoring young people. While on duty as the pipeline commander in Edo State, he refused bribes of N1.5million offered to him weekly from four individuals who were involved in illegal oil bunkering. In addition, he rejected N500,000 per week as returns from his subordinates, given to them as bribes to allow adulterated petroleum products to be brought into the state. Rejecting these tempting offers earned him several enemies, especially considering that his N37,500 monthly allowance was not steady.
In a telephone interview with the awardee over the weekend, following his emergence, Erhabor said that his belief in integrity stems from the trust and respect he earned from the community he serves, which makes his job much more easier.
He advocates “standing for truth even when no one is on your side.” In the future, he hopes to actualise a Police Force that is the dream of the citizenry. CSP Erhabor equally lauded the Igbere TV Award team for their sustained good works.
Expressing gratitude to Nigerians for finding him worthy of the honour and deserving of the prestigious award, Erhabor added, “this goes to show that we have been doing well [in the Force], and being monitored and watched closely by Nigerians.”
This year’s Award event would be one of the most outstanding and credible award ceremonies in Nigeria, as personalities in the Presidency, State Governments, National and State Assemblies, Economic Industries, Humanitarian Affairs and Human Activism are expected to grace the occasion.
Some of the awardees include, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, former Nigerian President (Foundation of the Year); Chief Innocent Chukwuma, Chairman of Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (Car Maker of the Year); Chief (Hon) Alex Ikwechegh, Founder of Alex Ikwechegh Foundation (Personality of the Year); Rt Hon (Engr) Chinedum Orji, Abia Assembly speaker (Speaker of the Year); Apostle Chinyere Chibuzor, General Overseer, Omega Power Ministries (Most Outstanding Humanitarian of the Year); and Chief Uche Nwosu, former Imo State governorship candidate and Chief of Staff to the Imo State Government (Hospitality Personality of the Year).
Others are: Senator Uba Sani, Kaduna Central (Senator of the Year); Gbene (Dr) Joi Nunieh, immediate past acting NDDC managing director (Public Servant of the Year); Dr. Betta Edu, Cross River State Commissioner for Health (Medical Expert of the Year); Hon. Sir. Melie Onyejepu, General Manager of Anambra Bureau of Public Procurement (State Public Servant of the Year); Chief Mrs Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, Ondo First Lady (Woman of the Year on Empowerment); and former Governor of Kano State, Sen. Rabiu Kwankwaso, Founder of Kwankwasiyya Foundation (N.G.O of the Year).
Also on the list are, Mrs Karima Babangida, Director FDA, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (Civil Servant of the Year); Valentine Ozigbo, the immediate past President and CEO of Transcorp PLC, founder of VCO Foundation and frontline governorship aspirant in the Anambra 2021 election (Empowerment Personality of the Year); Justice Nuagbe a.k.a Ushbebe, Comedian of the Year; Dr. George Moghalu, Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority, NIWA (Maritime Personality of the Year) and Gelor Paul, Managing Director, Dominion Oil & Gas Limited (Outstanding Social Impact Award).
While Dr. Alice Onyema, Vice-Chairman of Air Peace is being awarded as Aviation Personality of the Year; Hon. Princess Chinwe Nnabuife, CEO/Managing Director of Property Finders Limited, developers of Centage Estate, Lagos and Oil Spring Estate, bags Businesswoman of the Year award; with Prof. Georgewill Owunari, the former Deputy Provost, College of Health Sciences (UNIPORT) and Board member of the Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Medicine, emerging as ‘Educationist of the Year’; and Olakunle Churchill as ‘ICT Personality of the Year’, among others.
The 2019 edition of the Igbere TV Leadership Excellence Awards which held 28th November, 2019 at the Sheraton Hotels, Abuja saw distinguished and prominent captains of industry, public figures and leaders cling on to the various Award categories.
Prominent awardees included President Muhammadu Buhari, United States-based Nigerian billionaire medical doctor, Dr. Godwin Maduka; former President Goodluck Jonathan, former House of Reps Speaker, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara; minister Rotimi Amaech, Senator Rochas Okorcha, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu, among others.
According to Igbere TV, organizers of the Award event, this year’s edition which holds Dec. 10, has been tagged Africa’s biggest and most glamorous online media award. The programme will be transmitted live on DSTV, GOTV, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Zoom, Instagram and other social media platforms with over 10 million audience globally.
