NEAPS 2024 Awards based on empirical evidence of performance, says Tinubu

Mbah, Yahaya, Fintiri, Abiodun, other governors honoured

President Bola Tinubu has stated that all the 44 award winners at the 2024 Nigerian Excellence Awards in Public Service (NEAPS) held last Saturday at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja, were picked based on empirical evidence of performance and not politics.

 The NEAPS 2024 is a collaboration involving a private firm, The Best Strategic PR (TBS), and the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), to recognise excellent public service delivery.

 The President who was speaking during the presentation of the awards, said the winners were recognised for their giant strides towards the transformation of Nigeria and that they had consistently put hard work and dedication at the centre of their initiatives.

 Tinubu, who was represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, said he was truly delighted to witness the second edition of NEAPS, and thanked TBS led by Ms. Mariam Mohammed, “for this initiative and for deploying one of the best indices to determine the level of performance of Public Officers.”

President Tinubu adds: “I know that Public Officers will be challenged to perform above board now that they know they are being monitored by the people. Public Service is a public trust where officers and even employees must be accountable to the people whom they should always serve with utmost responsibility, integrity, loyalty and efficiency. They are expected to act with patriotism and think out of the box in order to solve the many problems facing the people which they lead.”

 In his remarks, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, said NEAPS “is purely a private sector driven initiative, which has independently accessed the performance of public servants in the discharge of their roles and responsibilities and have nominated the recipients of today’s awards.”

 Seven state governors were honoured at NEAPS 2024. They are Peter Mbah of Enugu State; Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State; Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State; Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State; Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State; Mohammed Bago of Niger State and Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State.

 The other award recipients were the Comptroller-General, Nigeria Customs Service, Wale Adeniyi; Governor of the CBN, Yemi Cardoso; Executive Chairman, FIRS, Zach Adedeji; IGP Kayode Egbetokun; former SGF, Boss Mustapha; National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu; GCEO of NNPC, Mele Kyari; Chair, EFCC, Olanipekun Olukoyede; the Executive Vice Chairman, NASENI, Khalil Suleiman Halilu; James Faleke and Aliyu Betara, both members of the House of Representatives; and Senator Musa Sanni.