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Don’t Abandon Governance For Electioneering, Buhari Warns 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”.
Buhari gave the directive in Abuja, yesterday, at the closing ceremony of the 2022 Ministerial Performance Review Retreat, preceded by his signing of Executive Order 012 on Improving Performance Management, Coordination and Implementation of Presidential Priorities.
According to a statement by his spokesman, Femi Adesina, the President told participants at the retreat that with the commencement of campaigns towards the 2023 general election, the business of governance must continue to receive the needed attention during this period.
“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 said.
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 institutionalise a culture of accountability and transparency in the pursuit of good governance.
Buhari further directed the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, to continue with the quarterly review process and assessment of ministries for the third and fourth Quarters of 2022, saying the reports would form part of transition documents of his administration to the incoming government.
To achieve this objective, Buhari 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 stated.
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 before the end of his 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,” Buhari said.
On electricity, Buhari directed that all hands must be on deck to ensure timely realisation of the increase in electricity generation to 25,000megawatts in six years.
He recounted that 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.
Considering the investment made in the rail sector, Buhari directed the Ministry of Transportation and relevant security agencies to ensure the provision of maximum security along the railway corridors.
The President further directed that the Federal Government’s investment in the reconstruction of 21 selected ongoing federal roads totalling 1,804.6km, under the Road Infrastructure Development and Refurbishment Investment Tax Credit Policy, must be closely monitored and tracked to ensure the roads are completed on schedule.
“In line with the outcome of the Panel session on Priority 4 (Improve Transportation and Other Infrastructure), the Ministry of Aviation is hereby directed to conclude and ensure the take-off of the National Carrier Project before the end of the year,” he said.
In order to expand the fiscal space and improve the nation’s revenue generation efforts, Buhari directed the Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning to ensure effective implementation of the Strategic Revenue and Growth Initiative.
On the implementation of the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund, the President directed that a monitoring and evaluation framework be put in place by the Ministry of Health in collaboration with relevant agencies and partners to track the disbursement and utilisation of the fund.
On humanitarian issues, Buhari noted that in the three years of existence of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, the ministry has provided substantial support and assistance to vulnerable citizens through various programmes.
He, therefore, directed the minister to facilitate and work with the Attorney General of the Federation in transmitting the Federal Executive Council’s approved National Social Investment Programme Establishment Bill (2022) to the National Assembly.
This, he said, would ensure the sustainability of this important programme which leaves a lasting legacy for the vulnerable Nigerians by his administration.
On industry, trade and investment, Buhari directed the ministry to engage relevant stakeholders to secure privatisation of the six Special Economic Zones as approved by the Bureau of Public Enterprise.
To complement the current efforts in the oil and gas sector, Buhari announced that the Ministry of Petroleum Resources has been mandated to ensure the completion of the reorganisation of the new agencies unbundled from the defunct Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation in line with their mandates.
“This should be completed by the end of the 1st Quarter of 2023,” he said.
Buhari also used the occasion to appeal to the National Assembly to fast-track the consideration and passage of key legislative bills as agreed during the Panel Session at the Retreat.
He said: “This will serve as our collective legacy towards entrenching key reforms that will serve as a springboard for the next administration.”
Buhari, however, thanked the former President of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta, the Keynote speaker at the retreat, for sharing his wealth of experience during his tenure in office.
Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for an official State visit at the invitation of the Prime Minister, Dr. Abiy Ahmed.
Upon arrival yesterday, Shettima was received at the airport by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Dr. Gedion Timothewos, and other members of the Ethiopian and Nigerian diplomatic corps.
Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communication, Stanley Nkwocha, revealed this in a statement he signed yesterday, titled: “VP Shettima arrives in Ethiopia for official state visit.”
During the visit, Vice President Shettima will participate in the official launch of Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Programme, a flagship environmental initiative.
The programme designed to combat deforestation, enhance biodiversity, and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change targets the planting of 20 billion tree seedlings over a four-year period.
In line with strengthening bilateral ties in agriculture and industrial development, the Vice President will also embark on a strategic tour of key industrial zones and integrated agricultural facilities across selected regions of Ethiopia.
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RSG Tasks Farmers On N4bn Agric Loan ….As RAAMP Takes Sensitization Campaign To Four LGs In Rivers
The Rivers State Government has called on the people of the state especially farmers to access the ?4billion agricultural loans made available by the State and domiciled in the Bank of Industry.
This is as the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) of Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), a World Bank project, took its sensitization campaign to Opobo/Nkoro, Andoni, Port Harcourt City and Obio/Akpor local government areas.
The campaign was aimed at enlightening community dwellers and other stakeholders in the various local government areas on the RAAMP project implementation and programme activities.
The Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Maurice Ogolo, said this at Opobo town, Ngo, Port Harcourt City and Rumuodumanya, headquarters of the four local government areas respectively, during the sensitization campaign.
Ogolo said apart from the ?4billion, the government has also made available fertilizers and other farm inputs to farmers in the various local government areas.
The Permanent Secretary who is the Chairman, State Steering Committee for the project, said RAAMP will construct roads that will connect farms to markets to enable farmers and fishermen sell their farms produce and fishes.
He also said rural roads would be constructed to farms and fishing settlements, and warned against any act that will lead to the cancellation of the projects in the four local government areas.
According to him, the World Bank and Federal Government which are the financiers of the programme will not condone such acts like kidnapping, marching ground and other acts inimical to the successful implementation of the projects in their respective areas.
At PHALGA, Ogolo asserted that the city will benefit in the areas of roads and bridge construction.
He noted that RAAMP was thriving in both the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; Lagos and other states in the country, stressing that the project should also be given the seriousness it deserves in Rivers State.
Speaking at Opobo town, the headquarters of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area, the project coordinator, RAAMP, Mr.Joshua Kpakol, said the programme would reduce poverty in the state.
According to him, both fishermen and farmers will maximally benefit from the programme.
At Ngo which is the headquarters of Andoni Local Government Area, Kpakol said roads will be constructed to all remote fishing settlements.
He said Rivers State is lucky to be among the states implementing the project, and stressed the need for the people to embrace it.
Meanwhile, Kpakol said at PHALGA that RAAMP is a project that will transform the lives of farmers, traders and other stakeholders in the area.
He urged the stakeholders to spread the information to their various communities.
However, some of the stakeholders at Opobo town complained about the destruction of their farms by bulls allegedly owed by traditional rulers in the area, as well as incessant stealing of their canoes at waterfronts.
At Ngo, Archbishop Elkanah Hanson, founder of El-Shaddai Church, commended the World Bank and the Federal Government for bringing the projects to Andoni.
He stressed the need for the construction of roads to fishing settlements in the area.
Also, a former Commissioner for Agriculture in the state and Okan Ama of Ekede, HRH King Gad Harry, noted that storage facilities have become necessary for a successful agricultural programme.
Harry also stressed the need for the programme to be made sustainable.
In their separate speeches, the administrators of Andoni and Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Areas, pledged their readiness to support the programme.
At Port Harcourt City, the Administrator, Dr Arthur Kalagbor, represented by the Head of Local Government Administration, Port Harcourt City, Mr Clifford Paul, said the city would support the implementation of the programme in the area.
Also, the administrator of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Dr Clifford Ndu Walter, represented by Mr Michael Elenwo, pledged to support the programme in his local government area.
Among dignitaries at the Obio/Akpor stakeholders engagement is the chairman, Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council and paramount ruler of Apara Kingdom, HRM Eze Chike Wodo, amongst others.
John Bibor
President Bola Tinubu has ordered the commencement of personnel audit and skill gap analysis across all cadres of federal civil servants.
The president gave this directive in Abuja, yesterday, while speaking at the International Civil Service Conference, reaffirming his resolve to achieve efficiency and professional service delivery in the civil service.
“I have authorized the comprehensive personnel audit and skill gap analysis across the federal civil service to deepen capacity. I urge all responsible stakeholders to prioritize timely completion of this critical exercise, to begin implementing targeted reforms, to realize the full benefit of a more agile, competent and responsive civil service,” the president announced.
Tinubu further directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), to prioritise data integrity and sovereignty in national interest.
He called for the capture, protection and strategic publication of public sector data in line with the Nigeria Data Protection Act of 2023.
“We must let our data speak for us. We must publish verified data assets within Nigeria and share them internationally recognized as fruitful. This will allow global benchmarking organisation to track our progress in real time and help us strengthen our position on the world stage. This will preserve privacy and uphold data sovereignty,” Tinubu added.
President Tinubu hailed the federal civil service as the “engine” driving his Renewed Hope Agenda, and the vehicle for delivering sustainable national development.
He submitted that the roles of civil servants remain indispensable in modern governance, declaring that in the face of a fast-evolving digital and economic landscape, the civil service must remain agile, future-ready, and results-driven.
“This maiden conference is a bold step toward redefining governance in an era of rapid transformation. An innovative Civil Service ensures we meet today’s needs and overcome tomorrow’s challenges.
“It captures our collective ambition to reimagine and reposition the civil service. In today’s rapid, evolving world of technology, innovation remains critical in ensuring that the civil service is dynamic, digital” the President said.
Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack in her welcome address told the President that his presence and strong words of commendation at the conference has renewed the morale and mandate of public servants across the country.
Walson-Jack described Tinubu as the backbone of driving transformation in the Nigerian civil service, and noted that the takeaways from past study tours undertaken to understudy the civil service in Singapore, the UK and US under her leadership, is already yielding multiplier effects.
Walson-Jack assured Tinubu that her office, in collaboration with reform-minded stakeholders, will not relent in accelerating the implementation of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan, FCSSIP 25.
She affirmed that digitalisation, performance management, and continuous learning remain key pillars in strengthening accountability, transparency, and service delivery across MDAs.
Walson-Jack reaffirmed that the civil service is determined to exceed expectations by embedding a culture of innovation, ethical leadership, and citizen-centred governance in the heart of public administration.