The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Public Procurement, Rt. Hon. Unyime Idem, has said Blueprint’s Best Legislator of the Year award bestowed on him would spur him to do more for his constituents, Akwa Ibom state, and the country in general.
Idem stated this Friday in Abuja when the Vice Chairman of Blueprint Newspapers Ltd., Zainab Suleiman Okino, led some management staff of the company to present the award letter to him.
The lawmaker appreciated the board and management of Blueprint for honouring him and pledged to partner with the newspaper for the growth of the country.
He said, “I appreciate the management for finding me worthy of this recognition; this award will encourage me and motivate me to do more; this time around not only in my constituency and my state, but the entire country.
“The award is a recognition of my modest contributions towards the development of my constituency, Akwa Ibom state, and Nigeria.
“Of course, by virtue of the work that I do through oversight, I have already done much for the country. I know how much I have recovered for the country in the course of carrying out oversights. It won’t be out of place if I extend my benevolence beyond my state.
“Let me also assure you that you have found a partner that you can rely on in me.”
Idem advised Blueprint to be professional in its reportage of news and yield its platforms for misleading information and blackmail.
“I encourage you to continue to disseminate factual information to members of the public. I think so far I have not seen where Blueprint has been part of misleading the public by disseminating misleading information.
“You should always balance your reporting, especially when jobless politicians try to blackmail someone. You should not allow that on your platform because the founder is a man that is saddled with the responsibility of protecting the image of Nigeria,” he said.
He reiterated his commitment to youth empowerment, adding that he has sent youth from his constituency for training in different parts of the world.
“Like the leader of the team mentioned before, I have sponsored some youths for advanced training abroad. It is one of the initiatives that are geared towards changing the mindsets of the youth.
“I have taken it upon myself that I am going to train 100 youths in advanced countries in the area of technology, trade relations, and as well as any area that will be beneficial to them.
“I want a situation where when youths graduate from school, they don’t only focus on politics. I want them to know that there are other areas they can channel their energies to. I am not saying that public service or politics is bad, but it is good for them to build a career and establish themselves first,” he said.
Earlier, in her remarks, Okino, who is also the newspaper’s chairman of its Editorial Board, said Idem was chosen for the award because of his outstanding achievements since he has been in the National Assembly.
She noted that Idem had, among other initiatives, sponsored over 20 bills in the last two years.
“You have sent many youths from your constituency for training in different parts of the world. It shows that you are a grassroots man. It shows you haven’t abandoned them after you came to Abuja. For that reason we felt we should recognise your efforts in this small way,” she said.