Seventeen persons are to be conferred with the highest state honour of Grand Service Star Of Rivers State (GSSRS).
The seventeen (17) include the PDP G5 Governors: Samuel Ortom of Benue State, Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State.
Others are Governors Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State, Bala Mohammed of Bauchi, Yahaya Bello of Kogi, and Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa.
Also listed in the category for the highest honour are former governors Jonah Jang of Plateau, Donald Duke of Cross River, Ayo Fayose of Ekiti, Ibrahim Idris of Kogi, Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo, Theodore Orji of Abia, Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe, Adams Oshiomhole of Edo and a Chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, Olabode George from Lagos State.
To be conferred with the second highest State Honour are one hundred and ten (110) persons. They include the wife of Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, Justice Eberechi Suzzette Nyesom-Wike; the wife of Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Tamunominini Makinde who hails from Rivers; the wife of former Governor Donald Duke of Cross River, Onari Donald-Duke who is also from Rivers; the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN); The Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Simeon Amadi.
In the awards category, thirty-three (33) persons are nominated for the Governor’s Medal of Service (GMS). They include Coach Stanley Eguma of Rivers United; and other coaches like Fatai Oscho, Ndubisi Nduk, Joseph Buma, and Okey Inwenya.
In the second category for awards, two persons are shortlisted as recipients of the Rivers State Merit Award (RSMA).
They are a volunteer traffic warden, Mr. Oruwuru Pere Shedrack, and one Mrs. Patience Nwogu.
Patience is a junior School Teacher who is to be honoured for “her enviable sense of sacrifice, discipline, and honest devotion to work”.
This is the second edition of the conferment of state honours. The first, still by Governor Nyesom Wike, was held in 2017 to climax the celebration of the state at 50.
At that time, 127 distinguished persons who served the state meritoriously in different fields of human endeavour were honoured.
Some of the awardees were honoured post-humously for their outstanding contributions to the growth of Rivers State at different time.
