From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
President Bola Tinubu, yesterday, at the opening of a three-day cabinet retreat for ministers, presidential aides, permanent secretaries and top government functionaries said he would sign a performance bond with them and the permanent secretaries, warning that any underperforming member would be sacked.
While declaring the retreat which theme was: “Delivering on the Renewed Hope Agenda” open, he announced the setting up of a Results Delivery Unit headed by former managing director of Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala-Usman, to coordinate and review performance of the cabinet members. He reminded the ministers of their responsibility to serve the people who entrusted their mandate on him.
He reiterated the commitment of his administration to take 50 million Nigerians out of poverty, saying, “poverty is not a shameful thing, it is only unacceptable. And we have to banish it because it is unacceptable.”
He also enjoined the ministers to focus on their ministries’ progress and come up with bold endeavours, stressing that his administration was determined to turn the nation’s population into an asset.
“That is why we established Results Delivery Units. At the end of this retreat you are going to sign a Bond of Understanding between the ministers, the permanent secretaries and myself. If you are performing, there is nothing to fear. If you missed the objective, we review, if no performance you leave us. No one is an island and the buck stops on my desk.
“I assure you will have a free hand. You must be intellectually inquisitive to ask how? Why? When? and why it must be immediate?
“I have taken a young lady, very dynamic Hadiza Usman to head that delivery units. If you have any complain about her, see me. If you are ready to work with her, stay there. Delivery yes! We must achieve it for the sake of the millions of the people.”
He said the country was blessed with great talents around the world, adding that Nigeria was the biggest intellectually sound country in Africa. “Yes, we have challenges in Sahel, we have challenges of climate change. South and North of Nigeria is battered, we’ve all seen such. You have desert encroachment in the north but we are still blessed with arable lands. We can do it, we can build our country.
“It is not about the theoreticians, it is about practical determinations and focus evaluation. Yes, it is our country, we have no other one.
“Let’s be proud that we are Nigerians, that we can do it, you can show leadership. We can fight to make democracy a lasting reference for the rest of Africa.”
•Success by all means necessary
Tinubu, who enjoined ministers and other government officials not to be afraid in taking decisions, however, warned them against being antagonistic to their supervisors.
“If they are wrong debate it. I stand before you and I have said it on several occasions and I will be saying today again, as the President, I can make mistakes. Point it to me, I will resolve that conflict, that error. Perfection is only that of Almighty God, but you are there to help me succeed. Success I must achieve by all means necessary.
“We have great minds, great intellects and all that we need. When we were discussing this retreat, I said other than members of diplomatic corps to give us goodwill and inspiration, don’t invite any foreigner to give me lecture about governance. I have been through it and I believe in Nigeria.”
•No crime in borrowing
Tinubu said the country was going through a reform painfully.
“And we still have other challenges. Don’t be a clog in the will of Nigeria progress. Let us look forward. Let us be determined that corruption will go, progress will be achieved. Better living wages for our workers. We will transform the economy to work for millions of our citizens. We must take 50 million people out of poverty.
“We must build healthcare that work for all. Look around don’t be wicked. Look at the standard of education. Look at the classrooms, look at the roads. We can only spend the money. We will find it, we cannot spend the people. No crime in borrowing.”
•We must take the ship forward
President Tinubu also urged the civil servants to cooperate with the ministers to form a formidable team for the good of the country.
“As I’ve stated before, no one succeeds alone. You the civil service, you must not see a minister as he or she will come and go and you will be there. You must make a positive team for the good of this country. Yes! I admit and accept the asset and liability of my predecessor. It is part of the definition in my professional background.
“But you are in this ship; you will make good of it but not wreck it. You are a member of a great family, don’t see that minister as opportunistic. See he or she as a partner that we must take the ship forward. Navigating through turbulence and clear weather,” he said.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, assured the President of cabinet members’ alloyed loyalty and dedication to achieve the renewed hope agenda of his administration.
He said the cabinet retreat is designed to prepare and sensitise ministers and other participants on workings and processes of government with a view to ensuring ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) deliver for the presidential priorities of the renewed hope agenda for 2023 to 2027.
He said the retreat will also provide opportunity to deepen the understanding of participants on best practices in conducting government business. More specifically, the retreat, he said will focus on one, ensuring all members are abreast of essential government processes related to procurement, budgeting, anti corruption drive, Federal Executive Council, and the role of the ministers and permanent secretaries in managing their ministries.
Secondly, the treat will focus on discussing critical enablers for a robust management of relationship with stakeholders of government. And thirdly, it will focus on understanding the delivery framework and tracking mechanism for the federal government and four, addressing any tasks, expectations that the President may highlight and direct.