Arewa youths honour Utomi with Sardaunna Leadership Excellence award

The Arewa Consultative Youth Assembly [ACYA] has appealed to Prof. Pat Utomi to push forward his leadership mentoring by helping set the course for a rejuvenated Nigeria as part of ACYA campaign for quality leadership across the 36 states of the federation.
A delegation of Arewa Consultative Youth Assembly made the statement while conferring on Utomi the title of ‘Magaji Matasan Arewa’ as part of the Saudanna Leadership Excellence Award.
In an elaborate citation and eulogy that followed speeches by the Speaker of the Assembly and Leader of the delegation, the team which noted that Prof. Utomi had been unable to come to Arewa House in Kaduna to receive the Award because of foreign travels, described the recipient a renowned world class political-economist and founder of Centre for Values in Leadership.
Utomi who has served in senior position in government as Adviser to The President of Nigeria, the private sector, as Chief Operating Officer for Volkswagen of Nigeria, and in academia as Director of the Centre for Applied Economics at the Lagos Business School was described as a great motivator of the year. His academic background which covers a range from Policy Economics, Business Administration and Political Science to Mass Communication, was said to be the base from which he has had great impact on Nigeria.
The team carried out the investiture of Utomi into ACYA Roll of Honour as ‘Magaji Matasan Arewa’ at a brief ceremony in Lagos on Wednesday, June 14, 2017.
Utomi was honoured by ACYA for his ‘contributions to political development in Nigeria through his visionary leadership drive, professionalism, unclouded treatment of all and sundry and his absolute humility that has remained unchanged in spite of career and business achievements.
ACYA added that ‘to the teeming population of Nigerian youth, especially those of Northern extraction, Prof Utomi is not just a mentor and role model, but a personality with integrity and unique hallmark, which will for a long time define the phrase a light at the end of the tunnel because he has given his time and energy to Nigeria as a nation, Africa and the world at large’.
The body noted that Utomi has no doubt achieved greatly in nation building, community development, youth empowerment, integrity-focused leadership, education development, quality assurance as well as mentorship. Furthermore, the Assembly said that Utomi’s greatest achievements are evident in the people who have successfully achieved greatness through his mentorship.
Citing a recent public appeal by opposition parties in Delta State calling on Utomi to run for office of Governor to rescue Delta, ACYA leadership said he should serve the youth well by responding to these calls at local and national levels so he can set example for the youth who look up to him for a vision of the new Nigeria that is possible. They also criticized youth calling for people to leave any part of Nigeria, especially the North, saying that is not what Utomi, a ‘son of the North’ represents.
ACYA concluded that Utomi is the ultimate symbol of a true Nigeria where unity and love, integrity and fairness, compassion and brotherhood takes a seat at the high table. ‘He is a true representation of the Saudanna Sokoto Alhaji Ahmadu Bello’s teaching.

Photo Caption
Prof. Pat Utomi is flanked on the left and right by Hon. Comrade Dogo Shagari and Hon. Salihu Mohammed(Speaker and Leader of Delegation respectively, Arewa Consultative Youth Assembly] at the investiture of Prof Utomi as Magaji Matasan Arewa in Lagos on June 14, 2017.