By Bodunde Tenabe
The African Students’ Union Parliament (ASUP), has honored the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of National Institute for Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA) Ondo, Professor Lilian Imuetinyan Salami, with the Pan-African Leadership Award. The award was presented to the Director-General by the leadership of the African Students’ Union Parliament in an elaborate ceremony held at the Institute’s Council Chambers on Tuesday 14th May, 2019.
In his address shortly before the presentation, the Speaker, Rt. Hon Kewal Mensah Abel, from the Institute of Professional Studies, Madina, Accra, Ghana, noted that the Parliament took time to scrutinize the Director-General who he said had committed her time to serve the common good in line with the African ideology.
He disclosed that the contribution of Professor Salami towards effective public service delivery and productivity in NIEPA was brought to the limelight by Nigerian Representatives at the conference of the Parliament in Ghana. He said: “At a time that the youth need to have exemplary leaders as role models and mentors in life, we have carefully selected you to be honored with the “Pan-African Leadership Award”.
Abel described the NIEPA’s Director-General as a vivacious woman of outstanding understanding, detribalized Nigerian fused with remarkable administrative acumen and ebullient nature. He also noted that Professor Lilian Salami’s dedication to effective and visionary leadership at the helms of affairs in NIEPA Nigeria, Ondo State, its environs, Nigeria and the diaspora is yet unsung. Her immense contribution to landmark developments pervading NIEPA’s geography, marks her as an iconic patriot of African society worthy of emulation.
Apart from honoring the Director-General, the leadership parliament also used the opportunity to highlight their activities in their countries of operation around Africa. According to Abel, the African Students Union Parliament is the umbrella body that covers all the students within the 54 African Union registered member countries with the core objectives of encouraging harmonious co-existence among members’ state students.
An over-joyed Professor Lilian Salami in her remarks, appreciated the parliament for the honor bestowed on her and commended their effort on Africanism and drug abuse. She encouraged ASUP to continue to strive towards building a young, vibrant, creative and vision oriented body of youths.
Highlights of the ceremony included a PowerPoint presentation of the Institute’s mission, vision, philosophy and capacity building achievements in the education sector by the Institute’s Coordinator of Programmes, Dr. Toun Akinsolu and also, a presentation of Gold Medal Award of Membership to NIEPA’s management staff.