 I'm extremely honored and humbled to be a recipient of the Leadership Person of the Year Award. And I'm deeply grateful to the Chairperson and Management of the Leadership Group for deeming me worthy of this recognition. I'm also very privileged to share this award of Leadership Person of the Year with Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Weller, a globally affirmed finance and development expert and a true Nigerian patriot who is now Director General of the WTO. Every glass ceiling that she has broken, and there are many, has inspired girls and women all over the world to reach for the highest heights in all fields of human endeavor. The late Sam Nda Azar was a dogered achiever who stood for integrity in public life and embodied the finest traditions of Nigerian journalism. He believed fervently in the role of the media as an empire of public discourse and in his mission of elevating the quality of public debate. I'm gratified that the values he lived by continue to be ardently represented by this organization. And I'd like to commend the Leadership Management Team very ably led by Mrs. Zaynab Nda Azar for forging ahead in the wake of Sam's transition to glory 60 years from years ago and today we celebrate his 60th posthumous birthday. Those of us who, like Sam Nda Azar, belong in that same political tendency, the one that is loosely described as the progressive tendency, agree on certain principles. We agree that we must create a country that works for us all, a peaceful and secure society founded on law and order and the rule of law, a society that enables commerce and values productivity so that large and small businesses can grow and provide jobs and opportunities for the millions of young people, a society where no one is left behind, providing by means of an effective social welfare scheme, a safety net for the very poor and the vulnerable, a united and tolerant nation where all irrespective of ethnicity, of religion or political persuasion are respected, treated fairly unjustly and have equal access to all opportunities. We agree that we must build a Nigerian where a boy or girl does not say that I am from the south west or I am from the north west or the south south or the north east or the north central or the south east or that I am a Nigerian, a citizen of one of the greatest and most prosperous nations on earth. This is the kind of Nigeria that those of us in this political tendency to which Sam and I belong, all attest to and all believe. I therefore dedicate this award to the millions of Nigerians who believe in this new Nigeria and who retain faith in our possibilities as a people and are doing their best every day in their various corners to build this nation through honest endeavor dedicated to these people of goodwill who are working hard to promote peace and tolerance and to build a country that truly represents all of our dreams, a country, those who are working hard to build bridges, those who have refused to be frustrated or even worried by the trials of our country as it grows and continues to the fullness of its manifest destiny. I think that it is because of certain Nigerians that despite the great challenges that we're passing through on our march of progress that I'm certain that we will build this great Nigerian nation that we all yearn for. Once again, I thank the management of leadership for this award and I congratulate all our deers for the very well-deserved recognition. Thank you very much.