By ZAKAA LAZARUS, Abuja.
The Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi, has been honoured with the outstanding Revenue Collection accolade at the Nigeria Excellence Award in Public Service (NEAPS) by President Ahmed Bola Tinubu.
The Customs Spokesman, Abdullahi Mawaida, revealed this in a statement made available in Lagos on Sunday.
The award was bestowed on Adeniyi on July 6 during a ceremony at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The award was in recognition of his significant achievements in revenue generation since his appointment as Comptroller-General of Customs in June 2023.
President Tinubu, who was represented by the Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, said: “The awards are about embedding a culture of recognition and reward in the public service ethos.
“Public institutions are not personal enterprises and public servants are employees of the Nigerian people.”
In an interview after receiving the award, CGC Adeniyi was delighted and affirmed his commitment to advancing Nigeria’s economy through revenue collection and trade facilitation.
He thanked God Almighty, the president, the secretary to the government of the federation and NEAPS for the recognition.
“This national recognition is a challenge for the Service to double its efforts in making this country proud.
“It motivates public officials to dedicate themselves and perform diligently in office,” Adeniyi said.
Earlier, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, urged the award recipients to continue their exemplary work.
“I welcome attendees to the second edition of NEAPS. The first edition was held in October 2023 at this same location.
“NEAPS is an award recognising innovation, leadership, and significant contributions to public service and the nation’s development.
“The selected individuals and organisations were chosen based on objective criteria from both the public and private sectors.
“I also commend the Best Strategic (TBS) Media for organising the event in collaboration with my office, the OSGF,” Akume said.
Among the 44 recipients of the Nigeria Excellence Awards in Public Service are Senate President Godswill Akpabio; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas and Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila.
The Deputy Chief of Staff to the President (Office of the Vice President), Senator Ibrahim Hadejia; Gov. Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, Gov. Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Gov. Dapo Abiodun of Ogun and Gov. Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa State were also honorees.
Some other honorees are Gov. Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State; Gov. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, and Gov. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah of Enugu State, who were recognised for their sector-specific interventions.
Other honorees include the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike; CBN Governor, Olayemi Cardoso; President of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote; former SGF, Boss Mustapha and Founder/Chairman of Zenith Bank, Chief Jim Ovia.
NEAPS is an annual recognition programme organised in collaboration with the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), celebrating individuals who have made exceptional contributions to public service within the preceding year.
