Enugu State governor, Peter Mbah has announced plans to accelerate road infrastructure projects across the state.
This follows his recent recognition at the Nigeria Excellence Awards in Public Service (NEAPS) at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Speaking to newsmen after receiving an award for his administration’s efforts in road development, Mbah pledged to continue improving rural and urban roads across the state.
While expressing gratitude for the NEAPS recognition, Mbah emphasised that the award would catalyse intensified efforts.
He made it clear that his administration would not rest on its laurels.
According to him, “First of all, we‘re grateful to the organizers of this event, Nigeria Excellence Awards in Public Service (NEAPS). We’re also very grateful that our modest efforts in revamping our roads… it’s gaining some recognition, so for us the award is a mark that we are doing the right thing.
“As I did say earlier, success abhors complacency, and this is going only to spur us to do even more. So, as we leave here today, we’re going to hit the road to ensure that all our roads in Enugu states are paved, both the rural and urban roads.
“Our work is far from done. This is just going to give us a kick. We need to hit the road and run,” he added.
On her part, the commissioner for women affairs and social development in Borno State, Zuwaira Gambo, has called for increased representation of women in public service awards.
Gambo, one of only four women among 48 recipients at the awards ceremony, expressed both gratitude and concern about the gender imbalance in the selections.
“It’s uplifting and pleasing, but at the same time, I think there should have been more women,” Gambo stated.
She appealed to the selection committee to be more gender-sensitive in the future, highlighting Nigerian women’s significant achievements across various fields.
The commissioner dedicated her award to the people of Borno State, particularly Governor Babagana Umara Zulum and his wife.
She credited the state’s leadership for creating an enabling environment that has facilitated significant progress in peace-building, resettling internally displaced persons (IDPs), and improving access to education and healthcare.
Gambo emphasised the challenges faced by women and children in conflict-affected areas, noting their vulnerability to insurgency.
She sees the award as recognition of her efforts in addressing these issues and aligning with Governor Zulum‘s vision for the state.
Similarly, Abike Dabiri, another award recipient and chairman/CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, echoed Gambo‘s sentiments on female representation.
Dabiri expressed surprise at her nomination and hope for increased recognition of women‘s hard work in future awards.
She said, „You work harder; it‘s a public service award, and you know that you‘re chosen based on your hard work and contributions in whatever field you find yourself in, including public service. This will encourage public service officers to work harder.
Your life is not about how much money you have in your account, but how many lives you can touch and how much impact you can make wherever you find yourself, so I‘m quite excited about that. I was surprised I just got a letter, saying ‚you‘ve been nominated‘.
Then, of course, I hope there‘ll be more women with the next set of awards. There were only four women out of 48, so I hope more women will be considered because many women are working hard. I‘m grateful for this, and I thank the lady who started this in conjunction with the Presidency. So this kind of thing should be encouraged, and I‘m humbled,“ she added.
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