President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, decried the menace of corruption, which he said has continued to thrive in the civil service as it’s garbed in the cloak of nepotism, cronyism and political patronage among others including lack of transparency, accountability and other social misdemeanor.
This came as he urged leaders in the private and public sectors be mindful of their positions as trustees of the people, tasking them to always work towards leaving legacies that would outlive them.
“Public service is a public trust where officers and even employees must be accountable to the people whom they should serve at all times 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 they lead.
“I am particularly happy to recognise His Excellency, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan GCFR, my predecessor for his contribution to peace building from the Niger-Delta region, which was snowballed into the Nation and now, around the world.” “I am equally elated to have some governors and my ministers receive this award. This is to put on record that this Awards is born out of empirical evidence of performance and not politics.
The former President also called for recognition for other cadres of service providers such as teachers that are moulding the characters of the future generations, medical personnel saving lives and others.