Remarks by Mr S Iswaran, Minister for Transport at the National Day Awards Investiture Ceremony for Dr Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu, Lifetime Goodwill Ambass

Dr Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu,
Lifetime Goodwill Ambassador,
International Civil Aviation Organization
Friends and colleagues,

1. We are gathered here this evening to honour Dr Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu on being conferred the Public Service Star (Distinguished Friends of Singapore) by President Halimah Yacob. Dr Aliu is also the first Nigerian to receive this honour.

2. Dr Aliu has many friends in Singapore, and we are glad that many of them have been able to accept our invitation to join us this evening for this investiture ceremony and celebration. In fact, in our earlier meeting, he was telling me that he has many long-lasting friendships in Singapore and we look forward to continuing them with you well into the future.

3. Singapore’s friendship and partnership with Dr Aliu dates back many years, long before he became President of the Council of the ICAO in 2014. The Ministry of Transport of Singapore and Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore have had an excellent working relationship with him over the years. This has resulted in many fruitful collaborations for the global civil aviation community and development of Singapore’s air hub.

4. Mr Ng Tee Chiou highlighted some of Dr Aliu’s substantial achievements in the citation earlier. Civil aviation is critical for Singapore’s connectivity with the rest of the world and plays a key role in our economy. As the aviation sector recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, we need to build a more sustainable aviation system. Regulators, industry players and all stakeholders must join hands, so that global civil aviation may once again soar.

5. We congratulate Dr Aliu on receiving this award, and convey our deepest gratitude to him for his contributions to Singapore. Dr Aliu’s dedication and tireless efforts to develop the international civil aviation sector are an inspiration to all of us, and an exemplar for future generations of aviation professionals.

6. As I mentioned earlier to Dr Aliu in our meeting, in Singapore, we believe we can never have too many good friends. So, it is my distinct honour and privilege, to on behalf of the President of Republic of Singapore, present the Public Service Star (Distinguished Friends of Singapore) to Dr Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu.