NPHCDA fetes staff with national award, donates drugs, equipment to Ondo facility

To further entrench commitment to service and strengthen the fight against corruption campaign of President Muhammadu Buhari, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) has urged public servants to imbibe the spirit of transparency and accountability it work.

The Executive Director, Dr. Faisal Shuaib, said this during the conferment of NPHCDA 2017 Prof. Umaru Shehu Transparency and Accountability award on a staff of Basic Health Centre, Ikaram-Akoko, Akoko North-West LGA of Ondo State, Alhaji Abdul-Ganiyu Salau at the weekend. Shuaib noted that the award is instituted by the agency to celebrate every outstanding, hardworking and committed staff, and to reward patriotism so as to further promote good moral values and ethics in the country.

According to him, “This is in line with the anti-corruption drive of President Muhammadu Buhari. If you are saying the folks should not line their pockets with public funds, then how do we motivate them?”The Executive Director stressed that outstanding public servants must be motivated by the work that they do, adding that “when you are holding people accountable, it is not just about sanctioning them but also about how do you reward them.

“There is no better way to reward them than to bring them back to their communities by saying thank you to their traditional and religious leaders, relatives for doing an incredible job by raising such individuals; like what we are doing here today.”

Shuaib pointed out that the event, which was also commemorated by donation of multi-million naira worth of drugs and equipment to the health centre, would facilitate efficiency and promote the mandate of NPHCDA.

“It takes a whole village to raise a good child. If you have an adult that is doing well, it is because his/her community has raised him/her well, taught him/her the right thing and Mr. Salau has been an exceptional staff. “He has been an epitome of honesty, the anti-corruption drive of Mr. President and we are here to say to his community that he has been an outstanding and amazing staff of NPHCDA. We are also donating drugs and equipment for the people; this is what they said we should for them as recognition of what Salau has done.

“So, apart from coming here to celebrate Mr. Salau and say thank you to the community, we are also using the donation to improve the quality of primary health care in the community,” he said.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Wahab Adegbenro, who was represented by the state Executive Secretary of Ondo State Primary Health Care Development Board (OSPHCDB), Dr. Francis Akanbiemu, lauded the agency for identifying with the successes accomplished in the state. Adegbenro pledged the support of the state government to always collaborate with the agency for capacity building trainings and workshops across the 18 local government areas of the state and beyond.

The traditional ruler of the community, Oba Andrew Momodu, the Akala of Ikaram-Akoko, appreciated the agency for its support over the years, which has made the community and council at large to excel in the health sector. Oba Momodu, who affirmed that the community had given maximum support for the agency through communal efforts, urged the Federal agency to upgrade the basic health centre in the community and give them more staff through the FG N-Power Scheme.

He lauded an illustrious indigene and benefactor of the community, former Minister of Defense, Adetokunbo Kayode, who was also at the event to celebrate the award recipient, saying he had been supporting the progress of Ikaram-Akoko and environs in all ramifications. The monarch, under the watch of the whole community and traditional funfair, bestowed a chieftaincy title on Shuaib as the Otunba Iseegun of Ikaram-Akoko.