Give Ministers Free Hands To Perform – Don

A don, Prof. Cletus Agu, has urged politicians to give a free hand to the new ministers to enable them to succeed in their assignments.

Agu,  Head of the Department of Economics at the University of Nigeria (UNN), Nsukka, said this in Nsukka, Enugu State, on Wednesday in an interview with the journalists.

The professor of economics, who commended President Goodluck Jonathan on the personalities he appointed as ministers, posited that they would improve the economy if politicians would allow them a free hand to perform their duties.

“Having the qualifications to the job as minister in Nigeria is one thing; another thing is giving the minister a free hand to perform the duty.

“Majority of the ministers have qualifications and experiences to turn the Nigerian economy around if there are no undue interferences by politicians,” he said.

Agu expressed delight that Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the former Managing Director of the World Bank, accepted to serve as finance minister.

“Okonjo-Iweala is a world giant in economy management; she has distinguished herself in the World Bank.

“What she needs from Nigerians and the government is support to enable her to move the economy to the next level.

“She was the finance minister that championed and influenced the Paris Club to forgive Nigeria’s debt,” he added.

He urged the new ministers not to compromise standards in a bid to assist friends, relations or business associates.

Agu, who appealed to the ministers to resist bribery from any quarters, asked them to make honesty, accountability and transparency their watchwords.

“Your performance as ministers will either be remembered negatively or positively by Nigerians as well as generations yet unborn,” he said.