Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano, on Friday, received the Civil Liberties Organisation, CLO’s Certificate of Good Public Service for his consistency in delivering people-friendly policies in the state.
While presenting the award to the governor at the organisation’s quarterly board meeting in Abuja Friday, CLO President, Igho Akeregha, stated that Mr Ganduje deserved the award for implementing internationally stipulated MDGs and Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs, in the state.
According to him, the organisation had beamed its focus on Kano state in the last two years and monitored the progress being made by the state government.
“Therefore, the state emerged as most considered, given its size and population in key deliverables in the areas of education, health, infrastructure, justice sector reform, peace and security.
“The board therefore, chose to recognise the leadership of the state with a Certificate of Good Public Service as a way of encouraging the state government and placing it on the radar of progressing states in Nigeria.
“I must however, remind His Excellency, that should there be observable lapses and drawbacks after this honour, the CLO may withdraw the recognition in defence of its best tradition of trust and credibility,” Mr Akeregha said.
He congratulated governor Ganduje, for emerging the first Governor ever, to be recognised and commended by the CLO for good public service and urged him to stay focused.
He also urged the governor to sustain the current momentum of providing quality leadership to the citizens of Kano state and Nigerians in general.
The CLO President said going forward, those who had utilised public offices to the benefit of citizens would be commended by the organisation while political “demagogues and profiteers” are to be named and shamed.
According to him, the CLO would regularly evaluate democracy deliverables using international benchmarks as a measurement.
In his reaction, Mr Ganduje, who was represented by his deputy, expressed gratitude to the organisation for the recognition, saying that it behoves on well-meaning Nigerians to close ranks towards ensuring good governance in the country.
He noted: “I consider this award as one of the most prestigious I have received in recent time. I assure you that I will cherish this award for life. It has come to stay. It can’t be retrieved due to bad governance on my part.
“Our government is ready and ever willing to partner with progressive organisations like CLO to tackle the myriad of problems besetting our society.”
