President Bola Tinubu asserted that his appointees will not have room for excuses when it comes to the non-performance of their assigned duties and responsibilities.
Tinubu, in his New Year address to the nation on Monday, renewed his pledge to serve the country, promising to dedicate his best efforts for the welfare of the Nigerian people.
The President said, ‘I took an oath to serve this country and give my best at all times. Like I said in the past, no excuse for poor performance from any of my appointees will be good enough.’
‘It is the reason I put in place a Policy Coordination, Evaluation, Monitoring, and Delivery Unit in the Presidency to make sure that governance output improves the living conditions of our people.’
‘We have set the parameters for evaluation. Within the first quarter of this new year, ministers and heads of agencies with a future in this administration that I lead will continue to show themselves.’
‘Fellow Nigerians, my major ambition in government as a Senator in the aborted Third Republic, as Governor of Lagos State for eight years, and now as the President, is to build a fair and equitable society and close the widening inequality.’
‘While I believe the rich should enjoy their legitimately earned wealth, our minimum bargain must be that any Nigerian who works hard and diligently enough will have a chance to get ahead.’
‘I must add that because God didn’t create us with equal talents and strengths, I cannot guarantee that we will have equal outcomes when we work hard.’
‘But my government, in this New Year 2024 and beyond, will work to give every Nigerian an equal opportunity to strive and to thrive.’
As reported earlier, the President directed the ministers in his cabinet to utilize their full capabilities to achieve their mandates, stressing that this was the essential requirement for retaining their positions.
These statements were issued by Tinubu as he inaugurated the 2023 Cabinet Retreat, addressing Ministers, Presidential Aides, Permanent Secretaries, and top government functionaries at the State House Conference Centre in Abuja.
He had said, ‘I’m here to assure you and walk with you—the best brains we can put together in civil service, the brains that we can put together in our democratic parliament, and that have been chosen for us by the public.’
Read also: Tinubu Pledges To Deliver Progressive Democracy To Nigerians
The GCFR, in clear terms, declared that ministers and other cabinet members must perform, warning that lack of results might lead to dismissal. He emphasized his role as President, acknowledging the final accountability.
Tinubu made it clear that periodic evaluations would gauge performances, with the primary condition for retaining seats being tangible and measurable results.
‘If you are performing, there is nothing to fear. If you miss the objective, we’ll review it. You are leaving us if you do not perform. No one is an island, and the buck stops on my desk,’ said the President.
Tinubu, however, noted in the New Year message that individual and collective support and collaboration for the good intentions of government must be exhibited by all Nigerians, adding that building a prosperous Nigeria is not for only a few people.
‘Our destinies are connected as members of this household in Nigeria. Our language, creed, ethnicity, and religious beliefs, even when they are not the same, should never make us work at cross purposes.’
‘In this New Year, let us resolve that, as joint-heirs to the Nigerian commonwealth, we will work for the peace, progress, and stability of our country. I extend this call to my political opponents in the last election. Elections are over. It’s time for all of us to work together for the sake of our country.’
‘We must let the light each of us carries—men and women, young and old—shine brighter and brighter to illuminate our path to a glorious dawn,’ the President stressed.
He called on Nigerians to continue to be grateful to God for His grace and benevolence to Nigeria in 2023, stressing that better days are ahead for the country in 2024.
‘Though the past year was a very challenging one, it was eventful in so many ways.’
‘For our country, it was a transition year that saw a peaceful, orderly, and successful transfer of power from one administration to another, marking yet another remarkable step in our 24 years of unbroken democracy.’
Pledging to prioritize the well-being of the nation, the President declared that the 2024 budget had provisions strategically allocated to address pressing issues within essential sectors.
Following the general election on February 25, 2023, Tinubu was elected as the President of the nation.