Police Officer, 4 Others Honoured With Integrity Icon Awards
By Lazarus Zakaa, Abuja
In a bid to identify and celebrate with those public government officials who have exempted themselves from any forms of corruption , the Integrity Icon , a national campaign group led by Accountability Lab Nigeria with support from Luminate and Mac Arthur Foundation has recognized a Chief Supertentiant Police Officer (CSP) Mr. Francis Trhabor in Bayelsa State Police Command and Four Civil Servants including Mrs Tins Odinachachi, a Lecturer in the University of Jos in Plateau State as the most honest public servants in the year 2019 and presented Icon Awards of Excellent to them.
The three other who also received the Award are: the Assistant Director of NAFDAC, Mrs Tina Ali Nimlau, Mrs. Kacheiban Betam K., the Secondary Teacher in Adani Secondary School in River State and Mr. Christian Ahiruzu, Head of ICT unit in Portharcourt.
Presenting the award to the winners on Tuesday in Abuja at Musa Yar Adua Centre, the country Director of Integrity Icon Nigeria, Mr. Odeh Friday Odeh had explained that the aim of the award was identified the country’s most honest government officials and in the last three years it has become an annual ceremony to celebrate with the five top winners.
He explained that in 2019, they received 407 Nomination and with the panel of Independent experts, they narrowed down the field to the top 5 nominees through how they demonstrate 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 further explained .
In their goodwill messages, the officer from UNODC, princess Chifiero, the Executive Director of IYAGA Africa, Mr. Samson Itodo and the Executive Director of one Campaign, Mr. Edwin Ikhuoria have observed that the winners of the awards are people of integrity, accountability, transparency have nothing to do with corruption.
They also called on other public civil servants in the country to borrow the leaf from the awardees and desist themselves from any form of corruption as it is affect the progress and development of the country.
In his address, the President of Mac Arthur Foundation John Ealfrey had explained that about 25 years now 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.
According to him, 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.
