It was naira rain Tuesday as Awwalu Salisu, a 23-year-old Kano-based Keke rider, got showered with N250 million and scholarship of Baze University Abuja for showing integrity in the face of temptation.
The commercial tricyclist, who, sometimes last year, returned a cash of N15 million left in his tricycle by a Chadian businessman, was celebrated and conferred with the Young Person of the Year Award at the 16th edition of Leadership Annual Conference and Awards in Abuja.
The programme anchor, had prior to the announcement of the sums, said “yesterday was the last day the Kano-based tricyclist would ride his keke,” predicting he would get a car at the event.
And barely after collecting his award as the first of all the awardees, Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in 2023 polls, Peter Obi, and his running mate, Senator Datti Ahmed, stepped forward to receive him from the podium and conducted him round to exchange pleasantries with the personalities in attendance.
And at the end of this, Obi announced a scholarship award to take care of Awwalu’s university education at the Baze University, owned by Datti.
And taking to the podium after receiving his own award as the Governor of the Year, Niger state Governor Umar Bago reeled out millions for the awardee, whom he described as the pride of the nation who should be encouraged.
Bago, who jokingly said the LP cannot be allowed to outshine the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), announced in quick succession a pledge of N50 million each on behalf of Tinubu, the APC governors, the APC ministers, the Niger State Government(NGSG) and his own personal donation, bringing the total sum to N250mmillion.
This, he said, was to appreciate the Keke rider’s act of honesty and to encourage other young Nigerians to imbibe the virtue.
Further to this, the minister of Information and national orientation, Mohammed Idris, who stood in for President Tinubu, said Awwalu has been enlisted by his ministry as a member of a special committee under the National Orientation Agency (NOA) to drive reorientation of the Nigerian youths.
