July 12, 2013 08:40:59am GMT
Dr Sarah Alade
The
West Africa Students Union (WASU) has conferred the 2012/2013 Kwame
Nkrumah Leadership Award on the Deputy Governor (Economic Policy) of the
Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Dr. Sarah Alade, OON, in recognition of
her immense contribution to Nigeria’s economic growth.
The
Kwame Nkrumah Leadership Award, which is conferred on institutions,
corporate concerns and eminent persons of West African origin, who have
distinguished themselves in their chosen endeavour, was presented to Dr.
(Mrs.) Alade on Thursday, July 11, 2013, at the Headquarters of the
Central Bank of Nigeria.
The
Students’ Union, which was represented by four of its Executive
members, also inducted Dr. (Mrs.) Alade into the WASU Hall of Fame,
making her the 57th member of this elite class of West African achievers
with a global reach.
According
to the Secretary General of WASU, Comrade Bamikole Oladele Babs, who
led the delegation, the award is in recognition of Dr. Alade’s
leadership and patriotic role in contributing to the development of not
only the West African sub-region but also the greater African continent.
“Dr.
(Mrs.) Sarah Alade is an amiable leader, an erudite scholar, a woman
with an enviable profile, an administrator of international repute, and a
philanthropist of many parts,” the WASU scribe declared.
The
organizers of the award also noted that the contributions of Alade have
had a significant impact on the Nigerian economy and indeed those of
other West African economies, therby making her a bridge to the
hopeless.
“Our
decision to confer this honour [on Dr. Alade] is not just the
celebration of the achievement of an outstanding performer, but to also
to serve as a call on the awardee not to relent in her efforts towards
redefining the standard of economic development in West Africa. The
award should also serve as a wakeup call on others to realize that there
is a critical observation of their efforts and deeds; either good or
bad,” Babs added.
In
her acceptance remarks, Dr. (Mrs.) Sarah Alade expressed gratitude to
God, Whom she noted paved the way for her success. She also thanked the
Executive and Congress of the West Africa Students Union for ratifying
that the award be conferred on her from a long list of successful
professionals of West African origin. She was particularly grateful to
the sub-regional student body for choosing to confer the award on her in
Nigeria, thereby breaking from their tradition of conferring the award
at an elaborate ceremony in Accra, Ghana, which served as the
operational base of the late Pan-African Leader, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.
Dr.
Alade dedicated the award to staff of the CBN, particularly those in
the Economic Policy Directorate, who she said were instrumental to her
professional successes. Recounting her days as a lecturer at the
University of Ilorin, she also thanked her former students for inspiring
her to provide quality leadership in and outside the classroom.
Hoisting
the Kwame Nkrumah Leadership plaque, the elated Deputy Governor said
she was humbled that the award was given by students who identified with
her as a role model. While promising not to rest on her oars, she urged
the students to remain focused and pursue their respective dreams of
making a difference not only in the sub-continent, but also on the world
stage.
In
separate remarks, Directors and other senior staff of the Economic
Policy Directorate lauded the leadership qualities of Dr. (Mrs.) Alade
as well as her evident positive contributions to the stability of the
Nigerian economy.
WASU
is the Continental Representative Organization of Democratic Students’
Unions founded in 1975 at the University of Science and Technology, now
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana, with
54 member unions from West African countries.
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