Former President, Goodluck Jonathan has described the Person of the Year Award 2015 conferred on him by The Trent online newspaper as a “pleasant surprise.”
Reacting to The Trent Person of the Year 2015 Award on Monday, December 21, 2015 the former President said he felt deeply touched by the kind gesture and honour coming months after he has left office.
“This is a pleasant surprise. I feel extremely humbled. I couldn’t have imagined that a group of young people would consider me worthy of this great honour months after I left office as President.
“Usually, people like us receive awards when we are in office because of the position and power that we have. It is moments like this that you actually realize the people who are truly your friends.
“I see this award as an encouragement not just for me but the upcoming generations of Nigerians. I see it also as a celebration of how far Nigeria has come as a democracy. I commend the Editorial Board of The Trent and wish them the very best in their journalistic endeavors,” he said.
Since his exit from office in May 2015, former President Jonathan’s profile has risen globally. He has been extolled by local and foreign media, as well as foreign governments for saving Nigeria from what observers say could have been a bloody social-political crisis in the world’s largest black democracy.