Don’t abandon governance for electioneering, start preparing transition documents, Buhari tells Ministers, others
President Muhammadu Buhari has warned Ministers, Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Government Agencies not to abandon the business of governance for electioneering, saying ”any infraction will be viewed seriously.”
The president issued the directive at the closing ceremony of the 2022 Ministerial Performance Review Retreat on Tuesday in Abuja.
He told participants at the Retreat that with the commencement of campaigns towards the 2023 general elections, the business of governance must continue to receive the needed attention during this period.
The president, who also signed the Executive Order 012 on Improving Performance Management, Coordination and Implementation of Presidential Priorities, said:
”Consequently, all Ministers, Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Agencies must remain focused in the discharge of their duties, as any infraction will be viewed seriously.
”Our collective goal is to map out a transition plan for the incoming Administration to ensure proper documentation of all the Policies, Programmes and Projects of Government with up-to-date status of implementation.’’
Buhari noted that the lessons learned in the last three years of implementing the administration’s policies, programmes and projects would serve as the needed tool to propel every Ministry to remain committed, towards the achievement of developmental objectives.
He, therefore, charged all ministers, permanent secretaries and heads of government agencies to step-up, double their efforts and work in synergy toward total delivery of the Administration’s set targets.
On Executive Order 12, the President explained that it would institutionalize a culture of accountability and transparency in the pursuit of good governance.
Buhari also directed the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) to continue with the quarterly review process and assessment of ministries for the third and fourth Quarters of 2022.
According to him, the reports will form part of transition documents of his administration to the incoming government.
To achieve this objective, the President ordered all Ministers and Permanent Secretaries to ensure that the performance reports of their Ministries are submitted on a quarterly basis to the Office of the SGF for review by the Central Delivery Coordination Unit.
”The outcome of these reviews would be made available for my consideration,” he said.
The president also declared that following discussion and recommendations, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has been directed to engage with relevant stakeholders to ensure the completion of all large-scale integrated Rice Processing Mills.
He said this must be achieved before the end of this administration.
”This will help our country to maintain sufficiency in the local production of rice as the ban on the importation of foreign rice will be sustained, ” he said.
On electricity, Buhari directed that all hands must be on deck to ensure timely realization of the increase in electricity generation to 25,000 Megawatts in six years.
According to the president, the plan on electricity generation, through the partnership between the Federal Government and German Siemens AG, is on course as the first batch of the transformers has arrived Nigeria already.
