Service delivery: SGF tasks Presidential Aides, Ministers on Buhari’s 9 priority areas

Mr Boss Mustapha, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), has tasked President Muhammadu Buhari’s aides and ministers to deliver on promises made to Nigerians to deliver on nine priority areas.

Mustapha made the call on Monday in Abuja, when he delivered his speech at the first year “Ministerial Performance Review Retreat”, organised for ministers by the presidency.

It was reported that the areas are building a thriving and sustainable economy; enhance social inclusion and reduce poverty; enlarge agricultural output for food security and export; attain energy sufficiency in power and petroleum products and expand transport and other infrastructural development.

Others are expand business growth, entrepreneurship and industrialisation; expand access to quality education, affordable healthcare and productivity of Nigerians; build a system to fight corruption, improve governance and create social cohesion; and improve security for all.”

Mustapha said: “the retreat is designed to prepare and sensitise cabinet members on the status of policies, programmes and projects of government and the road map towards the delivery of its priorities and “Next Level Agenda” for 2019 to 2023.”

“This retreat is expected to provide opportunity for us as a Government to review the First-Year report of the “Ministerial Mandates”, with respect to the commitment to deliver on the nine priority areas of this Administration.

According to him, the retreat is also designed to allow for transparency on the status of implementation of policies, programmes and projects of the government and the roadmap towards the delivery of the 9-priority agenda of this administration.

“Specifically, at this retreat we will review the performance of each minister in delivering the priority projects assigned to them upon their appointment in 2019; identify key impediments to implementation.

“And also to re-strategise on how to deliver on the priority areas moving forward, taking into cognizance key underlying factors that have affected performance and delivery.”

“Your Excellencies, distinguished participants, let me quickly remind us that as the President’s aides, our legacies will lie in how much we are able to deliver on this administration’s promises to Nigerians,” SGF said.

SGF stated further that the forum would also focus on ways to fulfil the promise of lifting 100 million people out of poverty as promised by Mr President.

He said it is their duty to join the President in providing the leadership required to develop Nigeria and lift the bulk of its people out of poverty.

Mustapha reminded the ministers that the task of governance required dedication and total commitment to the social contract they had entered with the Nigerian people.

He added that “Especially in realisation of the yearnings for quick delivery of the dividends of democracy to the people”.

“As part of the efforts towards ensuring effective implementation of government’s priorities, ministerial mandates were developed and signed by all Ministers and their Permanent Secretaries, using a uniform reporting template developed by the office of the SGF,” he said.

According to the SGF, the exercise is reassuring to note that the ministers cascaded the mandates to their respective CEOs of parastatal agencies under their Ministry.