CRITERIA FOR DETERMINING, SELECTING AND RECOGNISING NATIONAL HEROES IN UMUAKA

Most times the faces and shapes of Families, Societies, States, Nations and world over, have been known to be permanently or irreversibly altered by the ideas, actions, inactions, contributions and deeds of certain individuals and groups. If such ideas or acts are towards positive goals or ends, the recipients or beneficiaries of such ideas or acts tend to evaluate and recognize the actors as their HEROES. If however, the ideas or acts are towards negative ends, then the actors are identified as VILLAINS. Sometimes a Hero is a real person or a main fictional character of a literary work who, in the face of danger, combats
adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage or strength. In the original hero type of classical epics, strong or seemingly wise people undertake such acts for the sake of earning personal glory and honor because of the wealth, pride, and fame normally associated with such acts. On the other hand, in modern times particularly in Umuaka those who perform great deeds or selfless acts for the common good of the community are marked, identified and recognized as HEROES
The New Umuaka Project – Initiative (NUP-I) has carved out clear cut criteria to not only mark, identify and
recognize our Heroes but to CELEBRATE them. It was on that premise that the New Umuaka Project – Initiative
(NUP-I) honours award was developed to honour persons who have made and/or are still making significant
contributions to Umuaka as a whole or to various autonomous communities in Umuaka through their Time,
Talent, and Treasure. It is expected that the identification, selection and recognition of such individuals (The
Honourees) should serve as role models for others to emulate. Such awards are targeted to encourage passion,
compassion, selfless-service and the urge to strive to make Umuaka in particular and the world in general,
better places than we met them . The individuals so honoured must have shown unquestionable consistency in
commendable character and possess unquenchable desire for helping others within their autonomous
communities and beyond and possess uncommon zeal to drive the processes that promote steady and stable
community development
In order to create versatility and growth, the body has classified the awards and categorized them into Eight (8)
NUP-I Honours Awards, namely;

1. NUP-I Platinum Citizen Honours Award
2. NUP-I Gold Citizen Honours Award
3. NUP-I Distinguished Service Award
4. NUP-I Youths Excellence Award
5. NUP-I Hall of Fame Award
6. NUP-I Virtuous Woman Award
7. NUP-I Excellence Performance Scholarship Award
8. NUP-I Posthumous Award
   NUP-I Platinum Citizen Honours Award
   This award is to be likened to someone being knighted by the Queen of England or receiving the Highest
   National Award in any Country, State or Community. It recognizes the individual’s cumulative Services over a
   given period of time, in multiple fields of endeavour including in politics, Tradition, health care, humanities,
   social services, Engineering, Law, etc, for which importance and positive effects to the citizens of Umuaka and
   beyond have outlived or likely to outlive the awardee.

NUP-I Gold Citizen Honours Award
This award is given to Umuaka citizens living or dead who have demonstrated exceptional contributions in
community development. The worth of such contributions must be empirically demonstrated to worth more
than Five million Naira (N5,000,000.00) in total cash, material and/or in leadership selfless-service calculated
over a given period of not less than ten (10) years

NUP-I Distinguished Service Award
This award is specially reserved for Umuaka Citizens who have not only distinguished themselves in their
respective fields of endeavours but have used their elevated positions in the society at large to impact on the
positive development of human capital, humanitarian services and or developmental strides in Umuaka

NUP-I Youths Excellence Award
This warded is given to young adults (male or female) of between 15 and 35 years of age who distinguish
themselves in uplifting the image of the Youths in Umuaka and more importantly presenting themselves
directly or remotely as symbols of encouragement to Umuaka youths by striving higher and remarkable
achievements in their areas of endeavours

NUP-I Hall of Fame Award
This award is for those who have achieved outstanding performance in their fields of endeavours. This can be
awarded to several people at the same time and merely recognizes individuals whose accomplishments have
brought great repute to Umuaka

NUP-I Virtuous Woman Award
This category of award is wholly dedicated to women, without prejudice to their inclusion in other categories of
awards. Women who did or are doing exceptionally well in the promotion of virtues of womanhood, within and
outside Umuaka. Women who stand out as role models in the assessment of NUP-I. For any woman to qualify
to be given this award the virtue found in her must be seen or attested to have impacted on the lives of majority
of women of Umuaka and in positively shaping the lives of young Umuaka girls tending towards motherhood
NUP-I Excellence Performance Scholarship Award
This is another category of awards that may attract scholarships to deserving primary and secondary school
students, who excelled exceptionally in their studies, as a way of catching them young and inculcating NUP-I
principles, ideals, philosophy consciousness in them

NUP-I Posthumous Award
This award is given to any Umuaka Citizen who merited either of the other awards but could not receive the
award conferment while alive. The Category upon which the award is being awarded posthumously will be
specified.
Engr Sir Vice Onyemepu
Former Chairman, Board of Trustees