Vice President Kashim Shettima has urged public servants to remain selfless in the discharge of their duties, to sustain legacies within the service.
Shettima said this at the 50th birthday colloquium organised for Hadiza Bala-Usman, the Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination and Head of the Central Delivery Coordination Unit.
The Vice President also urged public servants to imbibe the virtues of excellence, marked by a commitment to daily discipline, consistency of effort and strength of character.
According to him, civil servants ought to exhibit resilience and hard work towards the service regardless of the challenges of building enduring institutions.
“If we are to raise more generations of Nigerians ready to lead with purpose, to deliver with excellence, and to serve with courage, we must remember this truth: intention without the willingness to pay the price of service remains wishful thinking,” Shettima said.
Further eulogising Bala-Usman’s commitment to public service, the vice president said she is a mirror not only for the northern Nigerian girl, but for the nation itself.
“There is no doubt that Usman’s place in our public service history is secure. This is so because it was not built on spectacle, nor did it rely on applause. What she has become was a product of decisions taken quietly, responsibilities carried fully, and institutions strengthened with care.”
“What has not been noted enough about our celebrant is that she is emerging from a part of our country where many young women still search for proof that ambition such as hers is permitted.
“Indeed, her journey required courage, and that is why she has become that proof. Its trials were visible. Its demands were exacting. Its rewards were earned. Nigeria watched her grow into responsibility early, stepping into critical policy spaces when many are still finding their voice,” he said.
Also describing her rise in public service as deliberate and well-earned, the Vice President said Bala-Usman has remained committed to the difficult work of building a functional nation.
“May your example continue to guide those who still believe that service, when done well, can ennoble a nation,” the VP added.