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From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Public employees have been tasked by President Bola Tinubu with upholding public trust standards, which require them to be accountable to the people.
He asked them to constantly remember that they are employees of the Nigerian people and that the country’s public institutions are not private businesses.
President Tinubu stated this Saturday during the Nigeria Excellence Awards in Public Service (NEAPS) held at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, he restated his administration’s determination “to creating an environment where merit is rewarded, and where every public servant feels valued and motivated to give their best”.
He stated that the goal of this was to instil a culture of reward and recognition in the national public service ethos, rather than only focus on award ceremonies.
President Tinubu pointed out that despite institutional safeguards against anomalies in the public sector, certain gaps are still being abused by individuals tasked with upholding the nation’s confidence.
In his speech titled, “Honouring the Heartbeats of Public Service,” Tinubu said, “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 Nigeria Excellence Awards in Public Service (NEAPS), a private sector initiative in partnership with the office of the Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), President Tinubu said that he 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, 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”.
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Nigerian public officials received high accolades from the President, who emphasised the need to remember them so that they would be inspired to encourage others and demonstrate “that excellence is not an orphan.”
President Tinubu stated that NEAPS is much more than just a ceremony to honour the unsung heroes who keep society and government running smoothly. It also serves as a vital tool for bringing “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, the SGF, George Akume, said NEAPS, a private sector-driven initiative, recognises and rewards innovation, purposeful leadership and hardwork by exceptional individuals and organisations in the country’s public service across all levels of government and the private sector.
He explained that the process of selecting the distinguished honourees was based on empirical facts and figures that are verifiable.
The SGF assured that efforts would be made to ensure the initiative is maintained as a regular feature to motivate and encourage excellence in the country’s public service.
He urged recipients of the awards not to relent in their efforts towards making Nigeria a more prosperous and progressive country.
According to a statement issued by the Vice President’s media aide, Stanley Nkwocha, among the 44 persons who clinched the Nigeria Excellence Awards in Public Service are General Abdulsalami Abubakar (Peace Building award); Senate President, Godswill Akpabio (Parliamentary Excellence award); Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas (Parliamentary Excellence award); Chief of Staff to the President, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila (Leadership and Administration award), and Deputy Chief of Staff to the President (Office of the Vice President), Senator Ibrahim Hadejia (Administrator par Excellence award).
Governors Bala Mohammed of Bauchi, Seyi Makinde of Oyo, Dapo Abiodun of Ogun, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa, Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara and Peter Ndubuisi Mbah of Enugu were recognised for interventions in specific sectors in their respective states.
Others include FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike (Infrastructure Delivery award, Federal); Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Mr Olayemi Cardoso (Monetary Policy Reforms award); President of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote (Industrial Revolution award); former SGF, Boss Mustapha (Lifetime Achievement award), and Founder/Chairman of Zenith Bank, Chief Jim Ovia (Lifetime Achievement in Banking award), among others.
