FG tasks NNMA board members on integrity, professionalism
NAN-H-81
Board
By Kate Obande-Okewu
Abuja, June 8, 2017(NAN) Dr Habiba Lawal, Acting Secretary to the Government of the Federation, has urged the members governing board of the Nigerian National Merit Award to ensure integrity and professionalism in discharging their duties.
Lawal made the call while inaugurating the Nine-Member Board of the Nigerian National Merit Award (NNMA) on Thursday in Abuja.
She said that the inauguration was important as it signified the continuation and sustainability of an award which had defied the pressure to be marred with controversies.
She added that the award was set up to advice on the conferment of the Nigerian National Order of Merit (NNOM) to deserving Nigerians.
“The NNMA has been in existence since 1979 and for the 38 years of its existence, only 73 Nigerians had been decorated with the NNOM award.
“This is reflective of the high level of meticulous effort put in place at arriving at deserving Nigerians to be decorated.
“ I hope that you (board members) will collectively bind your appointments into this prestigious board, to the niche of integrity it has carved for itself.
“We can neither afford to let your predecessors down nor Nigerians in this regard.
“They fought hard and defied all odds to maintain a high level of integrity that has become synonymous with NNOM in spite of political, social and professional pressures.
“ I charge you all to dig deep into your moral, ethics and religious reservoir to clad yourself with the armour that will insulate you from pressure to compromise your integrity during your tenure,” she said.
In his response, Prof. Shekarau Aku, Chairman of the board, said that he was immensely grateful for the honour bestowed on him to chair the board.
He added that it was a prestigious opportunity and a rare privilege, promising that they would deliver their duties with integrity.
He defined merit as the quality of being particularly good or worthy, especially so as to deserve praise or reward.
“We are renowned professionals in various fields and we promise to bring on board our wealth of knowledge.
“We will contribute our own quota to ensuring change and promoting Merit in the country.
“I pledge on behalf of the board to utilise the provisions of the Act establishing the award to best of our ability and betterment of Nigeria’’, Aku said.
Aku thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for the appointment, adding that his administration had made history in efforts to maintain a democratic government.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the board are made up of Academicians namely, Prof. Shekarau Aku, who is the chairman and Mr Ibrahim Namaki as the acting secretary.
Others members are Prof. Mohammad Hassan, Prof. Sheikh Abdullah, Prof. Joseph Andy, Prof. Adele Jinadu, Prof. Andrew Nok, Prof. Laz Ekwueme and Dr Amina Shamaki.
The tenure of the board is three years.(NAN)
KTE/GOM/AFA
Edited by Gregory Mmaduakolam/Felix Ajide
=============================