Along with Jonathan, Buhari conferred 43 other prominent Nigerians with the award at the Conference room of the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Friday.
President Muhammadu Buhari has conferred Nigeria Excellence Award in Public Service (NEAPS) on former President Goodluck Jonathan and 43 other Nigerians.
Along with Jonathan, Buhari conferred 43 other prominent Nigerians with the award at the Conference room of the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Friday.
The awardees include Senate President Ahmad Lawan; House of Representatives Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila; Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, 15 other governors and service chiefs.
The award seeks to recognise and honour distinguished public service to Nigeria, done through contributions to individuals, state or local community, or the public through excellence in humanitarian, leadership and so on.
Living public officials and private citizens are eligible once they satisfy other conditions.
The individual must show an act of public service that has positively touched society.
A source at the Rivers State Government House who spoke to SaharaReporters last Friday said millions of Naira were paid to some officials of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation to facilitate the award for Wike.
He added that the mass mobilisation of Rivers people to Abuja to attend what he described as a fake award had started.
“The so-called Infrastructure Award to Governor Wike was bought through the office SGF. The SGF capitalised on Buhari’s lack of awareness of his environment to grant him the fake award,” the source had said.
“We have started mobilising many people from Rivers to attend the award. Millions of Naira exchanged hands between the governor and many people in the SGF office. Apart from Port Harcourt, Wike abandoned the rest of Rivers state.
“Forget all you read on pages of newspapers; they are all scams. He hasn’t paid teachers in months. Retirees are owned while the governor and his wanted accountant-general whom he wants as successor stole billions of Naira.”
But reacting in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Kelvin Ebiri, Governor Wike denied bribing any official in Buhari’s government to get the award.
He said there has been a steady, and sustained revolution in the delivery of critical infrastructure in Rivers State since Wike took over power on May 29, 2015.
“These are not tech encased 3-D effects. No. They are visible, tangible and people-focused projects. They are delivered to enhance the living conditions of Rivers people and residents in the State. Governor Wike knows that without the right infrastructure in place, economic activities cannot thrive. That is why he has invested hugely in infrastructure development,” the statement read.
“With these infrastructure and other aspects of policies of government implemented, particularly in fiscal performance that has ranked Rivers as best in Nigeria, according to BudgIT, the state capital, Port Harcourt has been put back on the map of places that are reckoned as fast-growing city with indices of modern development.
“What is now, and enduring too, considered as convincing ripples is the attraction it offers to investors who are coming in droves to do business. The projects are in quantum. They are of quality and the infrastructure is spread across sectors. They are visible to the blind to see. The deaf also hears of them,” he said.