By Raphael Jov, Abuja
Accountability Lab. Nigeria has presented Integrity Icon award has to a Chief Supretendant of Police (CSP) Mr. Francis Erhabor of Bayelsa State Police Command and Four Civil Servants, In a bid to celebrate public servants who diligently performed their duties.
Speaking at the presentation of the award to the winners on Tuesday in Abuja, the country Director of Accountability Lab. Nigeria, Mr. Odeh Friday Odeh explained that the gesture of the award was to identify the country’s most corrupt free government official in the last three years.
Other Four awardees who were presented with Icon Awards of Excellent are; Mrs. Tina Odinachachi, a Lecturer of the University of Jos, Plateau State as the year 2019 most honest Civil Servant, oyhers include,the Assistant Director of NAFDAC, Mrs Tina Ali Nimlau, Mrs. Kacheiban Betam K., the Secondary Teacher in Adani Secondary School of River State and Mr. Christian Ahiruzu, Head of ICT unit in Portharcourt.
The country Director however noted that in 2019, they received 407 Nomination and with the panel of Independent experts narrowed down the field to the top 5 nominees through how they demonstrated integrity.
“We have asked citizens all over the country to nominate public servants they feel embody the values of integrity, transparency and accountability, we received 407 nominations in 2019 with a panel of independent experts, we narrowed down the field to the top 5 nominees” he said.
On their part, the officers from UNODC, princess Chifiero, the Executive Director of IYAGA Africa, Mr. Samson Itodo and the Executive Director of one Campaign, Mr. Edwin Ikhuoria, testified that the winners of the award are people of integrity, accountability, transparency have nothing to do with corruption.
While calling on other public Servants to emulate the beneficiaries and desist themselves from any form of corruption, he said that corruption is affecting the progress and development of the country.
According to the President of Mac Arthur Foundation, John Ealfrey explained that the foundation has been supporting Nigeria in the fight against corruption and other crimes in the country through the office they opened in Nigeria for over 25 years.
He said the Foundation works primarily with Nigerian Led Organization to support anti-corruption efforts and hoister the momentum around reducing corruption and by improving transparency, accountability and citizen’s participation.
