By Obansa Ibrahim, Lokoja
Center for Ethics and Self-Value Orientation, an anti-corruption and Good Governance based Non-Government Organization, has rated Kogi State Community and Social Development Agency (CSDA) as one of the topmost ethically responsible and least corrupt state agencies in the country.
Executive Director of the Center, Prince Saleh Musa Yakubu disclosed this during the conferment of awards and certificates on the General Manager and Management of the Agency in Lokoja.
He said that the 17-year-old Center, after a thorough scrutiny and independent investigation on its anti-corruption scale, scored the Agency, a cumulative 75 per cent in the Center’s Cumulative Corporate Performance Score.
“Kogi State Community and Social Development Agency ranks among top highly rated most ethically responsible and least corrupt state agencies in the country and is hereby presented with the Center’s Corporate Ethics and Integrity Compliance Certificate.
“This Agency has almost turned our Kogi State into a safe haven for community-inclined projects in different nooks and crannies of the state and therefore, deserves accolades.
He said that 1,000 questionnaires were usually distributed per Local Governments in Nigeria on yearly basis as indicators to ascertain leadership performance in organisations in the quest to tackle corruption in the country.
He adding that the Centre had over 1,500 whistleblowers spread out in all the 774 Local Governments Areas in Nigeria saddled with the singular responsibility of conducting secret independent assessments of the activities of public officers, individuals and corporate organisations.
Prince Saleh Musa Yakubu, Executive Director of the Center, flanked by Executive Members of the organization also honoured the General Manager of CSDA, Chief Dauda Momoh with an award of Integrity Icon of Nigeria (IION)
Yakubu also issued the General Manager with Ethical Leadership Conduct Compliance Award Certificate with a gold medal in Public Administration.
He said, “The Community and Social Development Agency won a gold medal for scoring above our benchmark of 65 percent. On that note may I confer on you, the honours of a gold medalist in public administration.
“Furthermore, it is my honor and privilege to confer on you, our lifetime highest title of Integrity Icon Of Nigeria. We want to differentiate this from other titles with an authority letter”, he said.
The Executive Director said that the honour on Chief Dauda Momoh was well-deserved, not negotiated for, neither paid for, but based on qualitative and critical assessment and quite in appreciation of his leadership qualities devoid of corruption and maladministration.
In his response, Chief Dauda Momoh rededicated the award to the management and staff of the Agency and commended the anti-corruption Centre for its interest in the activities of the Agency and checking corrupt practices in the effort to sanitize the public sector.
The General Manager said the award would spur him and his management team to do more and announced that the Agency had concluded plans to flag-off 40 micro projects in the next two weeks as part of its commitment to taking development to the grassroots.
He described the proposed flag-off as novel in the life of the Agency saying, “This is just the beginning, we are going to do more because what we are doing is just service to humanity and God has been helping us.
At the award presentation ceremony, the Agency’s Operations Manager, Mr Bayode Oladipo, was presented with the Center’s letter of commendation for his Outstanding Professional Ethics Compliance and Quality Citizens Service Delivery in the Agency’s administration and Management in Nigeria.
Also honoured with letters of commendation for Outstanding Professional Ethics Compliance and Quality Citizens Service Delivery were, Mr Oludare Ayo (No Parking), Manager, Monitoring and Evaluation as well as Pastor Mark Abuh, Manager, Finance and Administration.
In his Vote of Thanks, Mr Bayode Oladipo thanked the Center for recognizing and identifying with the Agency in its modest service to humanity and pledged on behalf of the General Manager, Management and staff never to disappoint.