November 12, (THEWILL) – President Bola Tinubu organised a retreat for members of his cabinet last week, as a way of setting an agenda for his administration.
At the retreat, he charged his 48 ministers, advisers and other aides to put aside their personal interests and focus on his government’s immediate task of pulling Nigeria out of poverty.
Before the retreat, the ministers would have only seen each other and sat together at the weekly National Executive Meeting. The retreat therefore provided an opportunity for Tinubu not only to speak with his cabinet members about his expectations from them but also to set an agenda and discuss the task ahead.
The event also provided the opportunity for interactions between the cabinet members and the permanent secretaries.
The cabinet retreat is not a new development. In the past, successive governments in the country had often organised cabinet retreats at the beginning of their tenures. Starting from the Olusegun Obasanjo Administration, ministers were required to undergo some kind of refresher courses in the form of retreats.
The Ministerial retreat under former President Olusegun Obasanjo was a serious affair. Political commentators believe the retreat ensured that the ministers managed their ministries well and through this Nigeria was able to achieve debt forgiveness and other achievements recorded by that administration.
The Umaru Musa Yar’Adua Administration could not be properly assessed because of ill-health.
The Goodluck Jonathan Administration also organised a retreat for ministers, but political watchers believe that although there were some brilliant professionals in the cabinet, the former President failed to provide proper coordination.
Under former President Muhammadu Buhari, aside from the general ministerial retreat, there were sectoral ministerial retreats.
So, political analysts believe that Tinubu was only following tradition by organising a cabinet retreat. They only wish that the event will yield the desired results.
Setting the tone for the retreat penultimate Wednesday, President Tinubu said, “With strong determination, we have brought together the best brains, the best hands to navigate the future of this country.
“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 its foundation. We have to give hope to the people, to Nigerians still in doubt whether democracy and economic growth will be the pathway to their prosperity.
“I’m here to assure you and to walk with you, the best brains we can put together in civil service, the brains that we can put together in our democratic parliament that have been chosen for us by the public.
Tinubu raised hope in the future, saying, “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 rest assured that this great country is one family in one house, though geographically located, partitioned and living in different rooms. But we are all one family
“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 determination and collaboration.
“As I’ve stated before, no one succeeds alone. You in 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 assets and liabilities 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, him or her as a partner with whom we must take the ship forward. Navigate it through turbulence and clear weather.
“We are lucky we have a nation. Challenges are all over the world. You can see the chaos all around you. But be focused, like a man driving in a tunnel. Don’t look atthe sky, don’t look up, face your direction. Be committed to the value and principle of the 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.
“Recently, three days ago, we received the Chancellor of the Republic of Germany and his delegation of investors. One of their key complaints and the question is whether they can bring their capital, repatriate their dividend or, if not satisfied, take their capital away. The Minister of Trade and Investment was called upon by me to explain further that those obstacles are gone, never to come back again. We are open for business. That is why we established the Result Delivery Unit.”
President Tinubu charged his ministers to perform or be sent packing. He said.
“If you are performing well, there is nothing to fear. If you miss the objective, we’ll review it. If there is no performance, you will have to leave us. No one is an island and the buck stops on my desk.
“I assure you, you have a free hand. You must be intellectually inquisitive to ask how, why, when and why it must be immediate. You have the responsibility to serve the people.
“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.
“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 have 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, the 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 theorising. 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.
“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 and I would resolve that conflict, that error. Perfection belongs to God Almighty. But you are there to help me succeed. I must achieve success by all means necessary.
“We have great minds, great intellectuals, great intellects and all that we need.
Tinubu charged his ministers further, “Let us look forward. Let us be determined that corruption will go, progress will be achieved and there will be better wages for our workers. 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 a healthcare system 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 money, we will find it, but we cannot spend the people.
“There is 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 to tomorrow is charted for our children and grandchildren. Don’t be selfish about it.
“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 and why.
The climax of the retreat was the signing of performance bonds by ministers and permanent secretaries alongside President Tinubu, who charged all implementing authorities to unfailingly demonstrate diligence, innovative thinking, commitment and an unrelenting focus on results.
Outlining the key recommendations from technical sessions of the retreat, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, announced that the retreat had raised the approval threshold for public procurement and encouraged open bidding for transparency.
The President asked his Special Adviser on Policy and Coordination, Ms. Hadiza Bala Usman, to immediately reactivate the tracking system in a way that maximally leverages cutting-edge digital innovation to provide real-time oversight capability for the benefit of all Nigerians.
It recommended formulation of a standardised checklist detailing appointment criteria for ministers and heads of agencies and also, improved alignment of the budget for the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to the President’s vision, strategic goals and relevant Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
Other key recommendations are to evaluate the efficiency of previous Federal Government Intervention programmmes and conduct of proper pre-and post-project assessments to determine the efficacy of the programmes; improve the judicial process by allowing promoted judges to complete pending cases in their new positions and revive the executive-legislature conference/tripartite meetings to discuss pre-budget issues ahead of time and to define consequences and accelerate prosecution of individuals, including lawmakers, who do not complete contracts awarded to them.
On policies and priorities for the Renewed Hope agenda, the retreat recommended reforming the economy to deliver sustained inclusive growth; reforming tariff structure to enable trade, while still supporting domestic production.
Would this retreat fall into a development platform or a mere talk show with no concrete achievements?
Speaking with THEWILL, a public affairs commentator, Paul Okoye, said he believes that the retreat will not be like past ones.
“President Tinubu showed seriousness in the handling of the affairs of the retreat. The signing of a performance bond is unique. All the ministers will be on their toes to perform.
“I think it is a new beginning and we are looking forward to it. Ministers will perform; they would not want to lose their jobs”.
Also speaking with THEWILL, a political commentator, Comrade Bayo Ajani, said, “We should not be sceptical. Tinubu has done well in Lagos and I am sure he is eager to deliver at the federal level. He is determined and the performance bond is a sign that the retreat will bring positive results.”
AYO ESAN, has been actively reporting and analyzing political events for different newspapers for over 18 years. He has also successfully covered national and state elections in Nigeria since the inception of this democracy in 1999.
