President Bola Tinubu has implored public servants to live
up to expectation by upholding public trust where they must all be accountable
to the citizens.
Tinubu, who was represented by his Vice, Kashim Shettima,
made the call on Saturday at the Nigeria Excellence Awards in Public Service,
NEAPS, held at Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
He restated his administration’s determination to creating
an environment where merit was rewarded, and where every public servant felt
valued and motivated to give their best.
Tinubu urged them to always be guided by the fact that the
nation’s public institutions were not personal enterprises, and that, as public
servants, they were employees of the Nigerian people.
Tinubu noted that some loopholes were 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.
“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,” he said.
While 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, President
Tinubu gave the initiative his full support.
He said that it was 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.
He noted that the essence of any successful entity, whether
a private enterprise or public institution, was 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,” he added.
Tinubu said NEAPS also played a crucial role of introducing
more role models to a nation in search of mentors and to tell the awardees that
they are recognized 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 stated.