The Governor of Nigeria’s Delta State was awarded the 2013 Inter-natio-al Outstanding Lead-ership Award by Metro Éireann at a ceremony in Dublin on 18 January.
Dr Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan was selected as this year’s recipient in recognition of the impact that his leadership has had on the lives of citizens in Delta State since he became governor there in May 2007.
Metro Éireann highlighted in particular the Governor Uduaghan’s three-point programme of peace and security, human capital development and infrastructural development, which has thus far seen investment in state-of-the-art infrastructure in education, agriculture, sports and health, as well as the ongoing job creation efforts in the state through spending on modern airports, industrial parks and sea ports.
On the same evening, the Irish secretary of the National Union of Journalists received an award for his support in the establishment of Metro Éireann.
Seamus Dooley began his career with the Tullamore Tribune and is former editor of the Roscommon Champion. Prior to his current role, he was a sub-editor with one of Ireland main dailies, the Irish Independent.
Dooley has been a strong advocate of balanced coverage on immigrant issues in Ireland and was a very supportive presence as Metro Éireann sought to establish itself in the Irish media landscape.
Another award went to Michael McGowan, a journalist, broadcaster, human rights activist and former MEP who served as president of the Development Committee of the European Parliament.
McGowan is also erstwhile vice president of the Joint EU/ACP Parliamentary Ass-embly, which links the countries of Europe with those of Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific, and was spokesperson on development for the Socialist group in the European Parliament.
As head of the Development Committee, he saw a special EU programme to support victims of apartheid in South Africa introduced, as well as support for human rights and opposition groups in Chile during the dictatorship of Pinochet.
An MEP for 15 years, McGowan also was a member of the External Trade, Foreign Affairs, and Human Rights committees.
Later in the evening, current MEP for Dublin Emer Costello received a surprise award in recognition of her encouragement and support for people of different nationalities in Ireland.
Costello, who is a former Lord Mayor of Dublin, is a present member of the European Parliament’s Em-ployment and Social Affairs Committee, chair of the delegation to the Palestinian Legislative Council, and a substitute member of the Development Committee and the Special Committee on Organised Crime, Corruption and Money Laundering.
