President Bola Tinubu has urged Nigerian public servants to uphold their responsibilities and be accountable to the citizens they serve. He emphasized that public institutions are not personal ventures, and as such, public servants are accountable to the Nigerian people, whom they serve as employees.
These remarks were made on Saturday night during the Nigeria Excellence Awards in Public Service (NEAPS) held at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Tinubu, represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the event, reiterated his administration’s commitment to fostering an environment where merit is recognized and rewarded. He emphasized the importance of embedding a culture of recognition and motivation within Nigeria’s public service, beyond the awards ceremony itself.
However, Tinubu’s statement, as conveyed by his spokesman Stanley Nkwocha, also acknowledged that despite institutional safeguards, there are still loopholes being exploited by some entrusted with the nation’s affairs.
Delivering the President’s speech titled, “Honouring the Heartbeats of Public Service,” VP Shettima stated, “More than ever, our public service must live up to its expectation as a public trust where every official must account to the people, and ours is to create an ecosystem where they not only stand out but stand apart from those who sabotage us.
“Even though we have set in place institutional measures to forestall any form of dysfunction in our public service, there are still cracks often exploited by those given the trust of the nation. But what we must never get tired of doing is reminding ourselves that our public institutions are not personal enterprises, and for that, each of us is an employee of the Nigerian citizen.”
Underlining the significance of the NEAPS, a private sector initiative in partnership with the office of the Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), President Tinubu gave the initiative his full support, saying it is strategic to inspire the bulk of the nation’s workforce, “set benchmarks, and create a ripple effect of positive change throughout our society”.
According to him, “reward and recognition are the very markers of every thriving institution, and indeed, the nation,” even as he noted that “the essence of any successful entity, whether a private enterprise or public institution, lies in its ability to honour those who work to uphold its values and drive its progress.
“Our labour force remains the ultimate reflection of our principles, as practised by men and women who rise every day with a commitment to building a better future for all citizens. We therefore owe these silent architects of our national progress more than just a debt of gratitude”.
The President showered praises on Nigerian public servants, maintaining that their place must be remembered in order to motivate them to inspire others and make clear “that excellence is not an orphan”.
Beyond a mere ceremony to recognize the unsung heroes who keep the wheels of government and society turning beyond expectations, President Tinubu said NEAPS also plays a crucial role of introducing “more role models to a nation in search of mentors and to tell the awardees that we see them, and the excellence with which they have served the nation.
“The 44 persons we are here to honour set in motion a chain of actions to build a culture of hard work and commitment to noble principles in our public service. We must also strive to make sure that the values that have set them apart are deeply ingrained in our culture.
“There’s no better way to water this forest of high performance, integrity, and accountability than our collective refusal to underplay the efforts of those who labour day in and day out to hold our nation together,” he added.
Earlier in his welcome address, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) George Akume emphasized that NEAPS aims to honor and celebrate innovation, purposeful leadership, and hard work demonstrated by outstanding individuals and organizations across Nigeria’s public service, spanning various levels of government and the private sector.
Akume highlighted that the selection process for the awardees was rigorous, based on verifiable empirical data and figures.
He assured attendees that NEAPS would be a recurring initiative aimed at sustaining motivation and fostering excellence within the country’s public service.
Akume encouraged award recipients to continue their efforts in contributing to Nigeria’s prosperity and progress.
Among the notable recipients of the Nigeria Excellence Awards in Public Service were:
– General Abdulsalami Abubakar, awarded for Peace Building.
– Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker of the House of Representatives Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, were recognized for Parliamentary Excellence.
– Chief of Staff to the President Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, honored for Leadership and Administration.
– Deputy Chief of Staff to the President (Office of the Vice President) Senator Ibrahim Hadejia, awarded as Administrator par Excellence.
Governors Bala Mohammed (Bauchi), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri (Adamawa), Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa), AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq (Kwara), and Peter Ndubuisi Mbah (Enugu) were recognized for their impactful interventions in specific sectors within their states.
Other recipients included FCT Minister Nyesom Wike (Infrastructure Delivery award, Federal), CBN Governor Mr. Olayemi Cardoso (Monetary Policy Reforms award), Alhaji Aliko Dangote (Industrial Revolution award) of Dangote Group, former SGF Boss Mustapha (Lifetime Achievement award), and Chief Jim Ovia (Lifetime Achievement in Banking award), founder/chairman of Zenith Bank, among others.
