The Nigerian President, Bola Tinubu has called on Public servants across the country to uphold accountability as a cornerstone of good governance, stressing that transparency and responsibility are essential to building citizens’ trust.
The President made the call as he conferred the Distinguished Award for Excellence in Infrastructure Delivery and Sustainable Regional Growth on the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, alongside other honourees.
The third edition of the Nigeria Excellence Awards in Public Service (NEAPS), was held at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja.
Represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, President Tinubu warned that weak enforcement of sanctions and lax oversight erode public confidence in governance.
According to him, “The unsystematic enforcement of law and institutional mechanisms for holding civil servants and public officials accountable will always lead to a negative impression on the citizens, noting that the awards were designed to challenge officials to improve their performance.”
In his remarks, the Managing Director NDDC, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku said “the award demonstrated that Nigerians recognize the efforts in advancing development in the oil-producing region.”
He reaffirmed his commitment to sustaining progress, noting that the honour would serve as motivation to continue improving the quality of life in the Niger Delta.
“This honour calls for more hard work, and we will not rest on our oars until we satisfy the yearnings of the people of the Niger Delta region, aligning his pledge with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Tinubu administration,“Dr. Ogbuku said.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the NEAPS Advisory Committee and retired Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Mary Odili underscored that excellence in public service must never be taken for granted.
The NEAPS 2025 Awards recognised 44 distinguished Nigerians across categories such as infrastructure delivery, urban renewal, financial innovation, digital innovation, reform initiatives, security management, transparency and open governance.