Tinubu Urges Accountability As NDDC Boss Bags Excellence Award

President Bola Tinubu has called on public servants to uphold accountability in their service to build trust, 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 and other outstanding leaders.

Speaking at the third edition of the Nigeria Excellence Awards in Public Service (NEAPS), held at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja, the President warned that weak sanction systems and lax oversight often fuel cynicism about governance.

According to Seledi Thompson-Wakama, Director of Corporate Affairs, President Tinubu, represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, stated that the excellence award initiative would challenge officials to raise standards because “they know the people are monitoring them.”

He observed, “The unsystematic enforcement of laws and institutional mechanisms for holding civil servants and public officials accountable will always lead to a negative impression among citizens.”

“I wish that leaders would arise and stand up to be counted among those who have distinguished themselves by doing the right thing and leaving their footprints on the sands of time.”

The President argued that public service is a trust that must be exercised with “responsibility, integrity, loyalty, and efficiency,” adding that officers are expected to think creatively to solve citizens’ problems.

He noted that the excellence award, organised by The Best Strategic Media in collaboration with the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, “relies on performance indices, not politics, to select honourees.”

“These awards are born out of empirical evidence of performance and not politics,” he said, commending recipients drawn from federal and state institutions, including some governors and ministers.

Speaking on the award, the NDDC Managing Director, Dr. Ogbuku, remarked that it showed that Nigerians appreciated the work the NDDC was doing in Nigeria’s oil-rich region.

He thanked President Tinubu and the NEAPS award committee for the honour, reaffirming his commitment to sustaining the pace of development and transforming the Niger Delta region.

Ogbuku noted, “This award serves as a motivation to continue driving the sustainable development of our region. We will continue to serve the needs of the people and enhance their quality of life.”

“This honour calls for more hard work, and we will not rest on our laurels until we satisfy the yearnings of the people of the Niger Delta region and bring development to the nooks and crannies of the region as part of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Tinubu’s administration.”

In a congratulatory message, the Chairman of the NDDC Governing Board, Mr. Chiedu Ebie, described the award conferred on Ogbuku as a testament to the innovations and progress he has brought into the management of the Commission.

He stated that Ogbuku was rightly chosen for the prestigious award in recognition of his outstanding contributions to nation-building, dedication to fostering progress, and unrelenting pursuit of excellence.

Ebie noted, “The activities of the current Board and Management of the NDDC now resonate with the people of the Niger Delta region and beyond.”

The Chairman of the NEAPS Advisory Committee and a retired Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, Justice Mary Odili, observed that service excellence must never be taken for granted, stating, “Excellence in public service is a value we must continue to uphold.”

The NEAPS 2025 awards were presented to 44 distinguished Nigerians in categories that included excellence in infrastructure service delivery, urban renewal, financial innovation, digital innovation, outstanding reform initiative, security management, transparency, and open governance.