Don’t betray trust of Nigerians, Tinubu tells public servants

President Bola Tinubu has urged public servants to uphold the trust placed in them by the Nigerian people, emphasizing the need for accountability and a commitment to excellence in public service.

Speaking at the Nigeria Excellence Awards in Public Service (NEAPS) held at the State House Conference Centre on Saturday night, President Tinubu stressed the importance of creating an ecosystem that fosters transparency and accountability.

While acknowledging the institutional measures put in place to prevent dysfunction, the president noted that there are still instances of exploitation by those entrusted with public office enterprise

President Tinubu, who was represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, reminded public servants that they are employees of the Nigerian citizen and must always prioritize the nation’s interests, refraining from treating public institutions as personal enterprises.

According to a statement issued by Senior Special Assistant to the President, on Media and Information, Office of the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, Tinubu restated his administration’s determination “to create an environment where merit is rewarded, and where every public servant feels valued and motivated to give their best”.

This, he said, is not just about the awards ceremony, but about embedding a culture of recognition and reward in the ethos of the country’s public service.

He noted that some loopholes are still being exploited by those saddled with the nation’s trust despite the institutional measures put in place to prevent any form of irregularities in the public service.

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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 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 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”.

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 recognise the unsung heroes who keep the wheels of government and society turning beyond expectations, President Tinubu said NEAPS also plays a crucial role in 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.

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“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 hard work 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.

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.

Don’t betray trust of Nigerians, Tinubu tells public servants

Samoa Agreement Had Nothing to Do with LGBTQ Rights – FG

The Federal Government has dismissed a newspaper report claiming that the Samoa partnership agreement signed on June 28 endorses the rights of LGBTQ people in Nigeria. The government also refuted the claim that Nigeria would receive $150 billion for entering into the deal.

Minister of Budget and Planning Atiku Bagudu clarified at a press conference in Abuja on Saturday. He was joined by his counterpart from the Ministry of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, to address the Daily Trust Newspapers report.

The report alleged that the Federal Government signed an agreement containing clauses that required Nigeria to endorse the rights of LGBTQI people, and claimed that the country would receive $150 billion for signing the deal. This report has sparked social, religious, and cultural tensions, becoming the subject of sermons in mosques and churches.

Bagudu recalled that the agreement, commonly called the Samoa Agreement, was signed at the Organisation of Africa, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) Secretariat in Brussels, Belgium, on June 28. The partnership is between the European Union and its member states on one side, and members of the OACPS on the other. Negotiations for the agreement began in 2018, and it was signed on November 15, 2018, by all 27 EU member states and 47 of the 79 OACPS states.

The African Regional Protocol on the deal consists of two parts: a framework for cooperation and areas of cooperation, including sustainable economic growth, environment, and human rights protection.

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JUST IN : Court orders Buhari’s minister to account for N729bn

A ruling from the Federal High Court in Lagos has directed Sadia Umar-Farouk, the former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development, to detail the disbursement of N729 billion to 24.3 million underprivileged Nigerians over a six-month period.

In addition to accounting for the payments, the court ordered Umar-Farouk, who was a minister in the then administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, to present a comprehensive list of the beneficiaries, including state-wise distribution and specifics on how the payments were managed per state.

This decision follows a lawsuit (FHC/L/CS/853/2021) initiated by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) under the Freedom of Information Act. Justice Deinde Isaac Dipeolu delivered the judgment last month, compelling the former minister to disclose the information requested by SERAP.

Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP’s Deputy Director, revealed that they obtained a certified copy of the judgment on Friday.

Justice Dipeolu emphasized the minister’s obligation under the Freedom of Information Act to provide the requested details, granting an order of mandamus to enforce this.

The court further instructed Umar-Farouk to clarify the selection criteria for the beneficiaries and the methods used for the payments. Additionally, she was required to justify the rationale behind the distribution of N5,000 to each beneficiary, representing five percent of Nigeria’s 2021 budget of N13.6 trillion.

Justice Dipeolu noted the minister’s lack of response to SERAP’s request, which contravened the Freedom of Information Act. Consequently, the court dismissed the minister’s preliminary objections, ruling in favor of SERAP.

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In his detailed judgment, Justice Dipeolu outlined the statutory requirements for compliance, stating that non-compliance would be seen as delinquency. He rejected the minister’s preliminary objections regarding the timing and jurisdiction of the court to entertain the suit.

SERAP’s counsel argued that the suit was initiated correctly within the legal timeframe, contrary to the minister’s claims. Justice Dipeolu confirmed this, dismissing the minister’s objections and affirming that the suit was not statute-barred.

Kolawole Oluwadare described the judgment as a significant victory for transparency and accountability in public fund management. He urged President Bola Tinubu to enforce the court’s orders promptly.

Prominent lawyer Femi Falana, SAN, commended SERAP’s efforts, highlighting the importance of addressing systemic corruption within the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and other government departments. He called on the government to use this judgment as a basis for further anti-corruption measures.

In a letter dated July 6, 2024, SERAP urged President Tinubu to comply with the court’s judgment, emphasizing the need for immediate action to compile and release the details of the N729 billion spending.

SERAP stressed that adherence to this judgment would signify a commitment to the rule of law, transparency, and accountability, contrasting with the previous administration’s approach. The organization called for decisive steps to rebuild trust in Nigeria’s judiciary and governance processes.

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