President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has warned public office holders to steer clear of nepotism, cronyism, and political patronage, describing them as major drivers of corruption and institutional decay in Nigeria’s public service.
Tinubu issued the warning on Sunday night during the Nigeria Excellence Awards in Public Service (NEAPS), held at the State House Banquet Hall, Abuja.
The President, who was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, charged officials to uphold public trust by serving with integrity, responsibility, and patriotism.
“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,” he said.
He warned that deeply entrenched practices such as nepotism, cronyism, and political patronage must be addressed, as they hinder transparency and weaken performance.
“These vices distract them from delivering on their mandate and aspirations,” Tinubu noted, urging leaders to rise and “be counted among those who have distinguished themselves to do the right thing and leave their footprints on the sands of time.”
Tinubu decried the global challenge of corruption in civil service systems, pointing to the lack of transparency, weak enforcement of laws, and institutional mechanisms for accountability as ongoing issues.
“The unsystematic enforcement of law and institutional mechanisms for holding civil servants and public officials accountable… will always lead to a negative impression to the citizens,” he said.
While commending the recipients of the NEAPS awards, Tinubu described the event as a “validation of efforts and a motivation to continue working towards a better Nigeria.”
He applauded the 50 honourees recognised across various sectors for their contributions to governance and national development.
Speaking on behalf of the SGF, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, praised the award as a credible benchmark for evaluating public officeholders.
“This private-sector-driven initiative has independently assessed public servants and nominated today’s recipients,” Idris said. “It is indeed a scorecard of our public officers, and I am glad Mr. President is here to recognise and challenge you to do more.”
He also acknowledged The Best Strategic Media, organisers of the awards, for its rigorous selection process and affirmed the SGF’s commitment to sustaining the partnership to drive public sector excellence.
Among those honoured at the ceremony were Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, SGF, Senator George Akume, Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike and Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Finance, Wale Edun.
Others included Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo (SAN), Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa, NDDC Managing Director, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku and Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Taiwo Oyedele.
Governors also honoured include Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom), Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa), Bala Mohammed (Bauchi), Abba Kabir Yusuf (Kano), Umar Bago (Niger), Usman Ododo (Kogi), and Dauda Lawal (Zamfara), among others.
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