President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has warned all Ministers and other political office holders appointed by his administration to perform or get ready to leave his government. The President made this warning on Wednesday while declaring open the 2023 Cabinet Retreat for Ministers, Presidential aides, permanent secretaries and top government functionaries holding at the State House Conference Centre in Abuja.
While challenging the cabinet members and other government officials to perform and the consequences for non-performance, President Tinubu said, “If you are performing, nothing to fear; if you miss the objective, we’ll review; if there is no performance, you leave us. No one is an island, and the buck stops on my desk.”
The President stated that his administration with strong determination has brought together the best brains, the best hands to navigate the future of Nigeria and with forward-looking determination to embark on a very strong, bold endeavour to rebuild the country’s economy and have people’s hope renewed.
“We are not looking backwards; we can’t compare and give excuses. This is our country we have to build it; we have to renew the foundation. We have to give hope to the populace, to Nigerians in doubt whether democracy and economic growth will be the pathway to their prosperity”, the President stated.
“I’m here to assure you and walk with you the best brains we can put together in civil service, the brain that we can put together in our democratic parliament and have been chosen for us by the public.
“It is a good thing that the chairman of our party is here but the President is the president of all, whether affiliated with some political parties, regardless of religious, ethnic or otherwise, we are one. A great Nigeria is possible, and a greater Nigeria will come under your commitment, guidance, and resolute determination to give the country a direction.
“I’m with you. And please be assured that this great country is one family in one house, geographically located, partitioned, and living in different rooms. But we are all one family. And we are here to make allegiance and give direction to that one family, making sure that relationships can only be stronger if we give hope to our people. We can only achieve our mission with boldness and strong determination with collaboration.
“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’s part of the definition in my professional background”, the President noted.
President Tinubu while likening the administration to a ship also appealed to Permanent Secretaries in the various Ministries to work closely with the Ministers and not to see them as opportunistic but as partners required to take the nation forward.
“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. Navigate it through turbulence and clear weather”, he said.
“We are lucky we have a nation; the challenges are all over the world. You can see the chaos all around you. But be focused, like a man driving in the tunnel, don’t see the sky, don’t look up, face your direction. Be committed to the value and principle of results that will affect you, your neighbour, and the entire nation.
“We’ve spent the last six months reviewing and evaluating ourselves, we’ve come a long way, but we set the agenda. Healthcare is a priority. Education of our people is a must. There is no other weapon against poverty than education. You have the opportunity to change things”, the President urged.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu also reiterated his administration’s determination to make Nigeria attractive for investors and his commitment to ensure investors are able to repatriate their returns on investment or capital when they want to.
According to the President, one of the key complaints and questions raised by investors that were part of the delegation of the German Chancellor who came on a state visit on Sunday is whether they can bring their capital, repatriate their dividend, or, if not satisfied, take their capital away to which he mandated the Minister of Trade and Investment to assure them that those obstacles are gone, never to come back again and that Nigeria is open for business.
President Tinubu also revealed that he established the Result Delivery Unit headed by Hadiza Bala Usman to help coordinate and monitor performance and that at the end of the retreat, a bond of understanding would be signed by the Ministers, Permanent Secretaries and other necessary appointees, which will be evaluated and reviewed.
“I’ve taken a young lady very dynamic, Hadiza Balla Usman, to head that delivery unit. If you have any complaints about her, see me. If you’re ready to work with her, stay there. Delivery, yes! we must achieve it for the sake of millions of people”, the President stated.
“Yes, we are talking about the population of this country. What do you do with it? Make it an asset or a liability? Focus on its progress and come up with bold endeavours. We are great talents around the world, the biggest intellectually sound country in Horn of Africa.
“Yes, we have challenges in the Sahel, we have challenges of climate change, south and north of Nigeria is battered, with ocean surge, we have desert encroachment in the north, but we are still blessed with arable lands. We can do it; we can build our country.
“It’s not about theorizing. It’s about practical determination and focused evaluation. Yes, it is our country. We have no other one. Let’s be proud that we are Nigerians. We can do it, we can show leadership, we can fight to make democracy a lasting reference for the rest of Africa”, the President added.
The president also admonished the appointees not to be afraid to make decisions but cautioned against antagonism.
“Don’t be afraid to make decisions, but don’t be antagonistic of your supervisor. If they are wrong, debate it. I stand before you and I’ve claimed on several occasions and I’m saying today again as the president, I can make mistakes, point it to me I would resolve that conflict, that error, perfection is only that of God Almighty. But you are there to help me succeed. Success I must achieve by all means necessary”, President Tinubu continued.
“We have great minds, great intellectuals, 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 a lecture about governance. I’ve been through it, and I believe in Nigeria.
“It started from the day I was sworn in, and that bold endeavour is only achieved through courage, determination, and focused leadership. We are going through the reform, painfully, and we still have other challenges. Don’t be a clog in the wheel of Nigeria’s progress.
“Let us look forward. Let us be determined that corruption will go, progress will be achieved, better wages for our workers, and living wages. 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 works for all. Look around. Don’t be wicked. Look at the standard of education, look at the classrooms, and look at the roads. We can only spend the money, we will find it, we can not spend the people.
“No crime in borrowing. Thank you, World Bank, for being a lending friend. But let your achievement be homegrown. The determination that Nigeria can do it is here. If it had not started six months ago, we are here to switch off the light, make you included, and make all Nigerians included. Our path for tomorrow is charted for our children and grandchildren. Don’t be selfish about it.
“Poverty is not a shameful thing. It’s only unacceptable. And we have to banish it because it’s unacceptable. Let’s work on other identifiable areas. Because a memo is submitted to you doesn’t mean that is the end of that matter. Think through it. Be inquisitive. Ask how, when, why”, President Tinubu concluded.