Buhari Honours 3 Nigerians for Integrity, Sends Strong Message to Corrupt Public Servants
- President Buhari has presented integrity awards to three outstanding and distinguished Nigerians
- The awardees are Nelson Okoronkwo, a deputy director, Legal, Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, and Muhammad Ahmad, Assistant Commander of Narcotics, NDLEA
- Ikenna Nweke, a PhD student studying in Japan is the third awardee who was recognised for returning a wallet containing a very large amount of money he had found to the police
FCT, Abuja - President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday, November 30, presented the 2021 Public Service Integrity Awards to three distinguished Nigerians.
The awards were presented as the president declared open the 3rd National Summit on Diminishing Corruption in the Public Sector.
Source: Facebook
The awardees, according to a statement released by presidential spokesman Femi Adesina, were:
- Nelson Okoronkwo, Deputy Director, Legal, Federal Ministry of Information and Culture
- Muhammad Ahmad, Assistant Commander of Narcotics, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA)
- Ikenna Nweke, a PhD student, from Imo State, studying in Japan
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Nelson Okoronkwo
Nelson Okoronkwo was recognised for his consistent acts of integrity in the different ministries where he served.
Legit.ng gathers that he is a committee member on fertiliser distribution that led to the recovery of billions of naira from racketeers with collaborators within the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
Okoronkwo was credited to have also reported corrupt practices that led to the Ogoni cleanup investigation in the Federal Ministry Environment.
As committee chairman on illegal recruitment in the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, the deputy director facilitated the detection and removal of over 3,000 fake employees from the service thereby saving the government millions of naira in terms of salaries and emoluments.
Muhammad Ahmad
Muhammad Ahmad, an NDLEA officer, was recognised for demonstrating the highest ideals and standards of public service in the discharge of his responsibilities.
Also a recipient of the Chairman/Chief Executive Award for Outstanding Performance and Integrity, Ahmad recently recovered and declared to his agency the sum of $24,500 offered to him as a bribe by a drug baron to compromise an investigation of 27.950 kg of cocaine, worth billions of naira
Ikenna Nweke
Ikenna Nweke is the Nigerian PhD student in Japan who found a wallet containing a very large amount of money and other valuables returned it to the Japanese police.
He also declined 10 per cent of the money offered to him as a reward.
The Nigerian, who joined the event virtually from his base in Japan, was recognised for his act of ‘‘honesty and integrity,’’ by the president.
President Buhari said Nweke has done Nigeria proud in far-away Japan by displaying traditional Nigerian values of honesty and integrity.
He joined the ICPC in declaring Nweke Citizens Anti-Corruption Volunteer Group Icon.
Buhari vows to sanction corrupt public servants
Meanwhile, President Buhari also said the federal government will sanction public servants engaging in corrupt practices, including illegal recruitment, retainment of ghost workers, and payroll padding.
He also warned that his administration would not hesitate to punish heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) that fraudulently present new projects as ongoing projects in the budget.
The president said:
‘‘We reduced the cost of governance by maintaining our promise to complete abandoned or ongoing projects commenced by previous administrations and have ensured that MDAs do not put forward new capital projects at the expense of ongoing projects.
‘‘Government has, however, noted from the activities of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) that some MDAs have devised the fraudulent practice of presenting new projects as ongoing projects.
‘‘Necessary action and sanctions will continue against the heads of such errant MDAs. I am confident that ICPC will continue to maintain the vigilance required of her by the ICPC Act in this regard."
We must uphold family values to rebuild society, Buhari tells Nigerian parents
In other news, President Buhari has said Nigerian parents and guardians must uphold family values in order to rebuild the society.
The president made this statement at the wedding of Jachimike Ikpeazu, son of Abia state governor Okezie Ikpeazu, in Umuahia, Abia state, on Sunday, November 28.
Represented by the minister of state for mines and steel development, Dr Uche Ogah, at the occasion, the president attributed the problems facing the nation to the diminishing emphasis on the importance of family values.
Source: Legit.ng
