From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja

 

Forty Civil Servants who won the 2022 Presidential Public Service Merit Award and were celebrated during the 2022 Civil Service Day, have been given N500,000 each.

This is even as the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan has called on them to continue with the good work they have started in uplifting the values of Civil Service, while urging other Civil Servants to always live above board.

She made the call at the presentation of cash prizes to recipients of the Award on 18th August, 2022 in Abuja.

According to a statement by

Deputy Director, Communications, Mohammed Ahmed, the number one civil servant opined that the Award is a motivator to Civil Servants to perform better, and as “Champions of Change” in the Service, she urged the Awardees to be proud as Civil Servants, also encourage and mentor others to work hard because “hard work pays,” according to her.

She commended the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation for putting smiles on the faces of the Civil Servants, who have excelled in the performance of their duties by redeeming his pledge of N500,000 each made to the 40 Civil Servants from different Ministries, Extra-Ministerial Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

While advising the Awardees to ensure prudent use of the money received, she called on other like-minded private sector players to take a cue from the Aig- Imoukhuede Foundation’s laudable gesture, soliciting for enhanced public-private partnership (PPP) with the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF).

Earlier in his remarks, the Chairman of the Foundation, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede said that the cash award is one amongst several other efforts of the Foundation, through the OHCSF, towards repositioning the Nigerian Civil Service to take its rightful place in the delivery of efficient and effective service to the citizenry.

According to him, the Foundation is of the opinion that the country should go back to those good old days, when the nation invested heavily on its civil service for effective and quality service delivery to the people.

He disclosed that the Award, which is named after his late mother, Emily AIG-Imoukhuede Endowment for Excellence in Public Service, will be an annual event to motivate 42 Public Servants in their work. He further enjoined the Award recipients to continue doing great things at their respective MDAs and the nation, at large.

In his Vote of Thanks, the Director, Cabinet Affairs Office, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Babatunde Aina, on behalf of other recipients appreciated the AIG-Imoukhuede Foundation, the Head of Service of the Federation and Transformative Permanent Secretaries for the various initiatives that are changing the service for the better.

He pledged that they will continue to be the Faces of the Service.