Mabel Segun, others win national merit award

By Elizabeth Archibong
December 3, 2010 02:33PM


Every nation needs people who think in order to grow and the first place to look for them is in the academia, President Goodluck Jonathan said yesterday in Abuja.

The president who was speaking at the Nigerian National Merit Award ceremony at the presidential villa, enjoined Nigerian youth to dedicate themselves to excellence and strive to make Nigeria one of the leading nations of the world.

The awardees include Aderemi Oluyomi Kuku for the Sciences; Ladipo Ayo Banjo and Mabel Dorothy Segun for the Humanities.

The 2009 Merit Award, which is the 24th in the series which started since 1979, is coming one year late. The President said this was due to the circumstances that the nation found itself at the time.

Speaking on the need for men of knowledge, he said, “We have a number of professors, at least amongst our cabinet we have about six professors - the head of the civil service and three special advisers. We have nothing less than 10 eggheads with us.

“This is the highest and most prestigious award bestowed by our nation on Nigerian citizens at home and in the daispora for creative intellectual and academic contributions that have national as well as global significance. This ceremony is holding one year behind schedule due to the circumstances the nation found itself at the originally appointed time.” Speaking on the integrity of the award, the president noted that only few Nigerians have received the award since its inception in 1979.

“Only 60 Nigerians have been honoured with the award, this is a clear evidence that of the high standard and quality of the merit driven evaluation procedure used in selecting the winners of the award,” he said. “It also underscores the high expectation of the nation that the new recipients of the award by their predecessors that hold the banner of creativity and intellectual attainment high at all times will be beacons of hope and role models for the younger generation of Nigerians”.

Mr. Jonathan further noted that the NNMA also serves as a reminder that our survival and collective vision as a nation and as a people rest with the contribution we make to the national and global development effort in science, technology, Economics, Arts and other fields.

Congratulating the awardees, he noted that the three recipients of the 2009 award are among the best in the world in their fields.

He therefore enjoined the youth to emulate their good work and “hereby dedicate themselves to excellence and strive to contribute their quota to the arduous task of getting Nigeria on the track of becoming one of the leading nations of the world”.

Working on 2010 awards

Four specialised committees of assessors drawn from universities and the private sector, totalling 38 were set up to screen the participants.

The minister of special duties, Taoheed Adedoja noted that following the delay in awarding the 2009 awards, the 2010 assessment exercise as well as the Annual Forum of Laureates could not take place this year due to the late reconstitution of the governing board of the NNMA, the body legally charged with the responsibility of processing and approval of the award.

He noted that the board however hopes “that all applications received for the 2010 award will be assessed along with those of 2011”.

He also disclosed that the cash price for award was increased from N1 million to N5 million by the present administration.

The chairman of the NNMA governing board, Oluwafeyisola Adegoke, said the three awardees passed through rigorous screening and were found qualified to be presented for the conferment of the award.

He added that the nation is blessed to have such a crop of Nigerians.

The NNMA, which was established by Act no. 53 of 1979 under the military administration of Olusegun Obasanjo, entitles a recipient to use the designation Nigerian National Order of Merit (NNOM) after his or her name, as well as receive a stipulated cash price, a certificate and a medal and enjoy other benefits.



http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/Metro/Politics/5649431-147/mabel_segun_others_win_national_merit.csp

who is mabel segun?? I dont know this person, tell me more about this person.

Becomrich}:

who is mabel segun?? I dont know this person, tell me more about this person.

A writer (novelist), poet etc. I read her book "My father's daughter" when I was in JSS 1 (many many years ago). If I may ask, dear Becomerich, how old are you?

Everything is now give away in Nigeria - ask SNG

All Yorubas, no Ibos
Awesome

We be the best

Aloy, Environer, Ezeuche, Igboboigbo, chys, chuks, metalgong and all the Ibos in the house, who is your boss?
Yes, every SWers, educated or not, is your Boss

Stranger

Who again are those names? They do not ring any bell. What was the award for? Can we read what they did to deserve the award? What scientific breakthru did the so-called science award represent?

When last did Mabel write a paper?

Anyways, Jonathan has been doing stuff for the Igbo (the brain box of Nigeria) -Enugu airport now international, Chief of Army staff, opening importation gate (according to Aloy Emeka) for the Igbos who are 100% of Nigerian importers, etc etc. I guess it is time to give your people the usual token token, especially for the old mama to take to her grave.

Jonathan gave you a LOCAL award. Igbo man got an international award here http://www.igi-global.com/Advertisements/AwardWinners2010.aspx

Aderemi Kuku is an algebraist, with a long list of publications (47) though most of them with low-citation counts and certainly not major breakthroughs. He holds an endowed professorship, but at some 3rd tier university. He's published 4 books. He was a former president of the African Mathematical Union, and worked with the IMU for development of mathematical sciences in Africa. He's worked on improving math education and science and technology development in Africa and was one of the people behind the formation of Nigeria's National Mathematical Centre and that's probably what he's getting the award for.

Stranger:  Mrs Mabel Segun is from Edo State and not a Yoruba woman (not that it matters - but facts are facts).

igbobuigbo: If you are really interested you can find out more about Mabel Segun at: http://www.mabelsegun.com

The terms of reference of the Nigerian National Merit Award are:

". . .  to confer the Nigerian National Order of Merit (NNOM) Award on deserving Nigerian citizens who have contributed outstandingly to national development in the areas of Science, Medicine, Engineering/Technology, Humanities, including Arts and Culture and other fields of human endeavour . . .  It is important to note that this award is not an exclusive preserve of academics alone as being erroneously held in some quarters." (http://www.nnma.gov.ng/AboutUs.html).

The NNOM awardees are selected by four Specialised Committees of Assessors (and not the President).

Finally, the Internet is a great source of information -  use it.

Aigus:

Stranger: Mrs Mabel Segun is from Edo State and not a Yoruba woman (not that it matters - but facts are facts).

igbobuigbo: If you are really interested you can find out more about Mabel Segun at: http://www.mabelsegun.com

The terms of reference of the Nigerian National Merit Award are:

". . . to confer the Nigerian National Order of Merit (NNOM) Award on deserving Nigerian citizens who have contributed outstandingly to national development in the areas of Science, Medicine, Engineering/Technology, Humanities, including Arts and Culture and other fields of human endeavour . . . It is important to note that this award is not an exclusive preserve of academics alone as being erroneously held in some quarters." (http://www.nnma.gov.ng/AboutUs.html).

The NNOM awardees are selected by four Specialised Committees of Assessors (and not the President).

Finally, the Internet is a great source of information - use it.

Yeah right

And, Aderemi Kuku is from Abiya!

Mrs Mabel Segun was born Mabel Aig-Imoukhuede. As you can see at some point she was married to a Mr Segun. Also, click on the NNMA link and you will see that under the list of awardees her state of origin is classified as Edo.

As I said earlier, the Internet is a great source of information - use it.