The Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) has awarded Kano state Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, with a Certificate of Good Public Service for his consistency in people friendly policies.
The organisation which was founded on October 15, 1987 with a mandate to pursue democratic advocacy, human rights monitoring and education, gender rights, police and penal reforms among others, stated that Governor Ganduje had excelled in implementing internationally stipulated MDGs and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the state.
While presenting award to the Governor at the organisation’s quarterly board meeting in Abuja Friday, its President, Comrade Igho Akeregha, said the CLO 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,” 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 measurement.
He explained that the board meeting was a quarterly event of the CLO where board members converge from across the country to evaluate the state of human rights in Nigeria and ventilate their views on critical national issues.
This, Akeregha added was in pursuant to CLO’s democracy and governance mandate as it examines governance at the local, state and national levels.
He noted that over the years, the organisation had positively discharged its mandate culminating in the country`s return to democracy in 1999.
“The role, the CLO played in finally consigning the military to the barracks and keeping them out of public governance is not only legendary, but well documented.
“In the last five years, the CLO has continuously reviewed its operations and strategies to make it more dynamic and adaptive to the dynamics of modern democracy. To this end, the organisation is engaging democracy stakeholders and holding them more accountable to the people.” he said.
Speaking at the event, Kano state deputy governor who represented the governor, expressed gratitude to the CLO on the confirmation of the award adding it behooves on well meaning Nigerians to close ranks towards ensuring good governance in the country.
Ganduje cited the menace of drug addiction among the youths, the problems associated with girl child education and low school enrolment and appalling level of poverty as some of the challenges that should be tackled 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.”
