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Wike: Garlands For Hard Work
On May 29, 2015, successful candidates in that year’s gubernatorial elections in Nigeria took their oath of office, swearing to God before the people and the entire world to provide good governance and consequently change the socio-economic life of the people for the better.
Four years down the line, some have been outrightly rejected and thrown out of office by the people who gave them the mandate they mismanaged, others got their mandate renewed but not without an experience akin to that of the proverbial Carmel passing through the eye of a needle. Yet there are some others who got their mandates revalidated by an overwhelming popular endorsement.
Notable among the last category of States’ Chief Executives is the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Ezenwo Wike whose re-election in 2019 can be described as a fait accompli following from the avalanche of endorsements that attended his stewardship in the past four years. The endorsements which came in the form of awards, prizes and public proclamations and affirmations were mostly from credible, critical, dispassionate, impeccable, well-meaning and reputable individuals and organizations from not only within his sphere of service but across the world. No doubt, the Rivers State Governor can be said to be the most decorated State Chief Executive in Nigeria between May 29, 2015 and May 29, 2019.
Within the period under reference, Gov Wike won the Apostle of Peace Award, the Vice President of Nigeria, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, irrespective of their party difference, christened him ‘Mr Projects’ ahead of the other 35 state governors in the country. In 2016, the Independent Newspaper named him the Man of the Year, the Authority Newspaper and the Sun Newspaper awarded him the Governor of the Year.
For the first time in the organsations history of award presentation, the Sun Newspaper found no one else worthy to receive its Governor of Year award in Nigeria in 2017 but the Rivers State helmsman.
In 2017, Governor Nyesom Wike won the award for the Most Fiscally Responsible Governor; the Global Human Settlements Outstanding Contributions Award, the Silverbird Group’s Silverbird Man of the Year; the New Telegraph’s Man of the Year; the Independent Newspaper’s Political Icon of the Year; and the Zik Prize for Good Governance among several others. And in 2018, he was awarded the Pillar of Sports in Africa by the International Sports Press Association, AIPs.
For the year 2018, Gov Wike as well won the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Prize for Outstanding Achievement In Leadership/ Infrastructure Development.
While many of these awards were delivered at organized and well-publicized functions and ceremonies several others were never celebrated.
According to Emma Okah, Lawyer and immediate past Commissioner for Information and Communication, Rivers State, ‘’ Governor Wike is seen as a man who prepared to govern and who saw big gaps in governance efforts of Rivers State. He came with solutions.’’ The former Commissioner explained that the governor ‘‘thus divided the state into sectors for the purpose of priority attention: Road Infrastructure, Rural Development, Health, Education, Housing, Economic Empowerment, Security, Administration and Justice, and Sports and recreation.’’
‘’ Observers and those who want to judge his(Wike)administration would have to base their opinions and observation on these laid down sectoral priorities,’’ he said, reiterating that ‘’ If they want to be sincere, they would agree that there have been tremendous activities in these nine sectors and His Excellency has won awards in many of these areas.’’
Speaking with The Tide in Port Harcourt, a legal practitioner based in the Rivers State Capital, Dr Chukwuma A.J. Chinwo described the awards and prize giving system generally as a means of recognition of excellence.
Dr Chinwo who is also a lecturer in the Faculty of Law of the Rivers State University, Nkpolu, Port Harcourt said even though the initiative has been abused, especially in Nigeria, it still has a valid place in the developmental efforts in society as it encourages hardwork.
‘’ Ordniarily, prizes and awards are supposed to be means of recognizing people who have excelled and ordinarily should motivate people who have been awarded to do better and for others to do more. So, awards and prizes are actually good motivators of development of society- for people who contribute their best in society,’’ he said.
He averred that there are many in Nigeria who have been undeserving recipients of awards, especially within the political class, as they usually paid for them with little or nothing substantial to justify their selection.
‘’Somebody is proclaimed the best governor, may be the best local government chairman and you go to the place where they preside and you don’t even see anything that is imaginative or transformational that this person had done and after that the man rests on his oars and says ‘‘don’t you know I was given that award?’ he lamented while called on award giving organisations to refrain from merchandizing in order to genuinely contribute to growth and development in the society.
Asked if he found any credibility in the awards given to Governor Nyesom Wike, the university don did not hesitate to say emphatically‘‘As for him, I will say yes.’’
According to Dr Chniwo,’’when we assess him from where we were and where we are, he deserves awards. I can say that. I keep telling people, if there’s nowhere Wike deserves award, he deserves award on Rivers State University’s transformation; he deserves awards on my own community, Oroigwe.
‘’ As a lawyer I travel round this state driving; he deserves award on road construction and we can’t deny him that.
‘’If you look at what we have here and where we’re coming from, Wike deserves award. If I have one, I will give him an award. As Chairman of Okpo Club, we have given him an award.’’
Going forward, the law teacher urged Gov. Wike to avoid the bug of complacency and relax on his laurels but to push the frontiers of his excellent performance in the past four years as there are still new grounds to break and more lofty heights to attain in the development efforts of Rivers State.
‘’For all he has done and the awards he has won, I only pray that he does not rest on his oars. This second tenure, we expect him to do far better and to look into other areas he has not moved into.
‘‘Rivers State needs industralisation; we need development in agriculture; we need in improvement. If we attain those things, peace will come, security will come.
‘’Nobody expected him to do everything in the first four years, but in this second four years, let him touch areas he has not touched and do better in the areas he has done before,’’ he advised.
Indeed, by his performance in the execution of the social contract he signed and swore by God to deliver on May 29, 2015, Rivers people have given him a renewed mandate as an expression of their confidence in his proven ability and capacity to manage their affairs and improve their lot.
As Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike therefore, breasts the tape at the finishing line of his first term and takes off the starting block for his second and final term in service to the people, nothing should motivate him better than the awards and prizes of excellence he had won and wears as badges of honour, encouragement, appreciation and inspiration to better the high standards he has already attained. The reward of hardwork, they say, is more work and that is the making of heroes and transformational leaders who have carved a niche in the history of their people.
Opaka Dokubo
Vice-President Kashim Shettima says President Bola Tinubu is committed to unlocking Nigeria’s full potential and position the country as a leading force on the African continent.
Shettima stated this when he hosted a delegation from the Hertie School of Governance, Berlin, led by its Senior Fellow, Dr Rolf Alter, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja last Wednesday.
He said Nigeria was actively seeking expertise from the global best institutions to enhance policy formulation and implementation, particularly in human capital development.
The Vice-President noted that President Tinubu was determined to elevate Nigeria to its rightful position as a leading force in Africa.
“The current crop of leadership in Nigeria under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is ready and willing to unleash the full potential of the Nigerian nation on the African continent.
” We are laying the groundwork through strategic reforms, and at the heart of it, is human capital development.”
He described the Hertie School as a valuable partner in the journey.
According to him, Hertie School of Governance, Berlin, has track record and institutional knowledge to add value to our policy formulation and delivery, especially in this disruptive age.
Shettima reiterated the government’s priority on upskilling Nigerians, saying ” skills are very important, and with our Human Capital Development (HCD) 2.0 programme.
“We are in a position to unleash the full potential of the Nigerian people by enhancing their capital skills.”
The Vice-President acknowledged the vital support of international development partners in that effort.
” I want to thank the World Bank, the European Union, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and all our partners in that drive to add value to the Nigerian nation,” he maintained.
The Vice-President said human capital development was both an economic imperative and a social necessity.
Shettima assured the delegation of the government’s readiness to deepen cooperation.
” We need the skills and the capacity from your school. The world is now knowledge-driven.
“I wish to implore you to have a very warm and robust partnership with the government and people of Nigeria.”
Shettima further explained recent economic decisions of the government, including fuel subsidy removal and foreign exchange reforms.
“The removal of fuel subsidy, the unification of the exchange rate regime and the revolution in the energy sector are all painful processes, but at the end of the day, the Nigerian people will laugh last.
“President Tinubu is a very modern leader who is willing to take far-reaching, courageous decisions to reposition the Nigerian economy,” he added.
Earlier, Alter, congratulated the Tinubu administration for the successful launch and implementation of the Human Capital Development (HCD) strategy.
The group leader described the development as ambitious and targeted towards the improvement of the lives of the citizens.
He expressed satisfaction with the outcome of his engagements since arriving in the country.
He applauded the zeal, commitment, energy and goodwill observed among stakeholders in the implementation of Nigeria’s HCD programme.
Alter said the Hertie School of Governance would work closely with authorities in Nigeria across different levels to deliver programmes specifically designed to address the unique needs of the country.
He, however, stressed the need for government officials at different levels to be agile and amenable to the dynamics of the evolving world, particularly as Nigeria attempted to successfully accelerate its human capital development aspirations.
The Federal Government Staff Housing Loans Board says it has begun the compilation of list of retired civil servants who have defaulted on the full repayment of housing loans obtained.
Head of Information and Public Relations, FGSHLB, Mrs Ngozi Obiechina, disclosed this in a statement in Abuja, yesterday.
Obiechina quoted the Executive Secretary of the Board, Mrs Salamatu Ahmed, as saying that the move was aimed at recovering mortgaged properties from retirees who failed to meet their loan obligations.
Ahmed noted that the decision followed a recent memo issued by Mrs Patience Oyekunle, Permanent Secretary, Career Management Office, Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
According to her, the memo reminded public servants of the mandatory requirement to obtain a Certificate of Non-Indebtedness to the FGSHLB and MDA Staff Multipurpose Cooperative Society as a precondition for retirement.
The Executive Secretary said that the board would take necessary legal steps to repossess properties where applicable, in line with the terms of the loan agreements.
She said this was in line with the provisions of the Public Service Rules 021002 (p), issued by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
“I am directed to bring to your attention the provision of Public Service Rule (PSR) 021002 (p), which mandates all public servants to obtain a Certificate of Non-Indebtedness as a prerequisite for retirement.
“The Federal Government will commence the seizure of mortgaged properties belonging to retiring federal public servants who have failed to fully repay housing loans obtained from the board,” she said.
Ahmed explained that the FGSHLB reserves the legal right to repossess any mortgaged property in cases where a public servant exits service without fully repaying the loan.
She reiterated that the directive also applied to already retired officers who were still indebted.
She urged all affected public servants to regularise their loan status and obtain the required clearance certificate without delay.
“The board is currently compiling a list of such retirees, which will be forwarded to relevant regulatory agencies for debt recovery.
“The FGSHLB remains committed to enforcing compliance and ensuring proper loan recovery procedures are followed, “ she added.
The Federal Government has kicked off a three-day induction programme for newly appointed Permanent Secretaries and the Accountant-General of the Federation, aimed at equipping them for strategic leadership and effective policy implementation.
The induction, according to a statement yesterday by the Director, Information and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, Eno Olotu, which commenced on Wednesday, is being held at the National Counter Terrorism Centre in Abuja.
Speaking at the opening session, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, congratulated the new appointees and described their roles as pivotal to governance and national development.
“Permanent Secretaries are the engine room of the government. They are critical to driving policy implementation, institutional performance, and reform across the service”, she said.
The Federal Government has kicked off a three-day induction programme for newly appointed Permanent Secretaries and the Accountant-General of the Federation, aimed at equipping them for strategic leadership and effective policy implementation.
The induction, according to a statement yesterday by the Director, Information and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, Eno Olotu, which commenced on Wednesday, is being held at the National Counter Terrorism Centre in Abuja.
Speaking at the opening session, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, congratulated the new appointees and described their roles as pivotal to governance and national development.
“Permanent Secretaries are the engine room of the government. They are critical to driving policy implementation, institutional performance, and reform across the service”, she said.
“The expectations are high, and the responsibility is immense. But with commitment and teamwork, we can deliver a more efficient, accountable, and citizen-centred public service.
“This final lap of FCSSIP 25 calls for urgency, accountability, and strategic focus. You must translate vision into measurable results,” she stated.
In her welcome address, the Permanent Secretary, Career Management Office, Mrs. Fatima Sugra Tabi’a Mahmood, described the programme as a strategic investment in leadership capacity and institutional effectiveness.
The sessions featured expert-led discussions, simulations, and strategic briefings facilitated by a distinguished faculty, including Engr. Suleiman Adamu, former Minister of Water Resources; Dr. Hadiza Bala Usman, Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination; Mrs. Beatrice Jedy-Agba, Solicitor-General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice; Alh. Yusuf Addy, retired Federal Director; Alhaji Bukar Goni Aji, former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation; Amb. Mustapha Lawal Suleiman, Mr. Adesola Olusade, and Dr. Ifeoma Anagbogu, all retired Permanent Secretaries.
Participants include Dr. Obi Emeka Vitalis, Mrs. Fatima Sugra Tabi’a Mahmood, Mr. Danjuma Mohammed Sanusi, Mr. Olusanya Olubunmi, Dr. Keshinro Maryam Ismaila, Dr. Akujobi Chinyere Ijeoma, Dr. Umobong Emanso Okop, Dr. Isokpunwu Christopher Osaruwanmwen, Mrs. Oyekunle N. Patience, Dr. Kalba U. Danjuma, Mr. Nadungu Gagare, Mr. Onwusoro I. Maduka, Dr. Usman Salihu Aminu, Mr. Ogbodo Chinasa Nnam, Mr. Ndiomu Ebiogeh Philip, Dr. Anuma N. Ogbonnaya, Mr. Adeladan Rafiu Olaninre, and Mr. Mukhtar Yawale Muhammed, alongside the Accountant-General of the Federation, Mr. Shamseldeen Babatunde Ogunjimi.
The induction programme will feature sessions on public sector leadership, policy delivery, ethics in service, digital transformation, and performance management.
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