The Kogi Government on Sunday reaffirmed its commitment to quality healthcare delivery for residents of the state, especially in rural areas.
The state’s Commissioner for Health, Dr Saka Audu, gave the assurance when the ministry was honoured with an Award of ‘Certificate of Credence’ for being rated as the least among 100 highly rated most ethically responsible and least corrupt states’ Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in Nigeria.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the award was presented to the commissioner on behalf of the state’s ministry of health in Lokoja by an Anti-corruption NGO, the Centre for Ethics and Self-Value Orientation (CESVO)
The centre also conferred an Ethical Leadership/Conduct Compliance Award on Audu, and honoured him with an Integrity Icon of Nigeria Kogi restates commitment to quality healthcare delivery for residentsin public conduct.
Audu thanked CESVO for the award and assured them of the commitment of the Gov. Yahaya Bello’s administration to ensuring that residents of Kogi continually had access to quality healthcare services, particularly the vulnerable in rural areas.
Audu said the ministry was able to attain the feat, due to the unflinching support and backing of the governor in performing their duties.
He appreciated the management and staff of the ministry, who had worked day and night with him to enable the ministry to attain the feat.
The commissioner dedicated the award to the governor, promising that the ministry would continue to discharge its responsibility with the fear of God.
”I really want to appreciate the team that has worked day and night with me to attain where we are today,
”I dedicated the award to Bello, who has given me the opportunity to serve the good people of Kogi.
”I pray that God Almighty will continue to uplift him and grant him all his heart’s desires in the nearest future.
Earlier, the Executive Director of CESVO, Mr Salih Yakubu, said that after the conduct of multi-sectoral independent secret assessment exercise in 500 states’-owned MDAs in Nigeria by the NGO, Kogi ministry of health emerged the least corrupt among the top 10 states’ ministries of health in Nigeria.
Yakubu added that the NGO administered questionnaires, conducted opinion polls, interviewed informants, project sites visitation and budget tracking mechanism between March 2020 and December 2021.
”The Kogi ministry of health was not just found to be the most ethically responsible, but also the least corrupt among the top 10 states’ health ministries out of 100 states’ MDAs found to be in tandem with our ethical leadership principles, based on our independent secret assessment exercise.”he said.
According to him, the ministry is able to attain the feat, due to the constant efforts of the commissioner and his team in ensuring that the right things are done at all times.
He urged the ministry to maintain such good records, adding that if they derailed, the centre would not hesitate to expose them to the anti-corruption agencies. (NAN)
