The Enugu State Governor, His Excellency, Dr. Peter Mbah, has bagged the Distinguished Award for Infrastructure at the Nigeria Excellence in Public Service Awards, NEAPS, for his impactful road infrastructural interventions in the state.
Mbah, who had a fortnight ago, also received a presidential award for his contributions to Micro, Small, and Medium Scale Enterprises, MSMEs, at the 2024 National MSMEs Awards by the Office of the Vice President, was bestowed with the NEAPS award at the Aso Presidential Villa, Abuja, at the weekend.
This was even as President Bola Tinubu charged public servants to live up to their expectation as a public trust, saying NEAPS, an initiative of the private sector and the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, OSGF, was strategic to inspire the bulk of the nation's workforce, "set benchmarks, and create a ripple effect of positive change throughout our society".
Speaking to newsmen, Mbah, who appreciated the organisers for recognising his administration’s effort in the area of infrastructural development, however, said he would not rest on the successes for which he was honoured.
“First of all, we are grateful to the organisers of this NEAPS event and the OSGF. We are very grateful that our modest efforts in revamping our roads are gaining some recognition. So, for us, the award is a mark that we are doing the right thing.
“However, as I said earlier, success abhors complacency, and this is going to only spur us to do even more. So as we leave here today, we are going to hit the road to ensure that all our roads in Enugu states are paved, both the rural roads and the urban roads.
“As you are probably aware, besides the initial 71 urban roads already recorded, and the ongoing major inter-local government roads, some of which will equally serve as gateways to our neighbouring regions, we are commencing work on 80 other roads. In addition, we are targeting at least 10km of roads in every of our 260 electoral wards.
“So, our work is far from being done. This is just going to give us the kick we need to hit the road, doing much more.”
Meanwhile, President Tinubu , in a prepared speech entitled, "Honouring the Heartbeats of Public Service," and delivered by his deputy, Vice President Kashim Shettima, who represented him at the event, regretted that some persons saddled with the nation's trust were exploiting some loopholes despite the institutional measures put in place to prevent any form of irregularities in the public service, but congratulated the awardees for distinguishing themselves in service to the people.
“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,” he said.
According to the President, 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".
Earlier in his welcome address, the SGF, Senator George Akume, said NEAPS 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.
