By Dipo Olowookere
President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday said in Abuja that his administration has recorded success in the economy despite many complaints from citizens that things are not going smoothly for them like it used to be before he came to power in 2015.
The President, while addressing Ministers-designate at a retreat organised to keep them abreast with programmes of the government, said he has made headway in the three main challenges he set out to tackle over four years ago. These are security, economy and corruption.
“First, we have rolled back the frontiers of terrorism; we are actively addressing other challenges such as kidnappings, farmer-herder violence, improving the safety of our roads, railways, air traffic and fire control capacities.
“Second, we are steadily turning the economy round through investment in agriculture and manufacturing, shoring up our foreign reserves, curbing inflation and improving the country’s infrastructure.
“Third, on corruption, we have recovered hundreds of billions of stolen assets and are actively pursuing control measures to tackle leakages in public resources. We will not let up in fighting corruption,” he said in his opening speech.
According to Mr Buhari, “None but the most partisan will dispute that we have made headway in all three areas.”
He tasked the Ministers-designate to see their appointment as a call to serve the people, telling them to “grasp the chance with two hands and put in your best efforts as Nigeria today needs top managers to handle our numerous challenges,” stressing that, “There will be long hours and you must be prepared to live laborious days if we are to serve our people optimally.”
He reminded them that they were “appointed to assist and advise the President in running the affairs of our country,” adding that, “As Ministers, I am counting on you together with Advisers and Nigerians willing and able to contribute to build upon our road map of policies, programmes and projects that will lift the bulk of our people out of poverty and set them on the road to prosperity.”
President Buhari reaffirmed that his administration hopes to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years, a move he said would “fundamentally shift Nigeria’s trajectory and place us among the World’s Great Nations.”
Mr Buhari told the Ministers-designate that they would be “responsible for the development and implementation of policies, programmes and projects in your various Ministries, Departments and Agencies in line with government priorities. You must also ensure that agencies under your Ministries are effective, efficient and accountable in the discharge of their responsibilities.”
Continuing, he said, “We must work as a team. Although you have been chosen to represent your states as a constitutional imperative, it is vital for all of you to work as Nigerians.
“Furthermore, working as a team demands that we know what the next person is doing. You must open communications with your colleagues. Lack of communication leads to lack of cooperation and sub-optimal performance.”
Adedapo Adesanya