The federal government has warned the newly appointed ministers to be wary of subjecting themselves to ethnic and sectional interests but face the realisation of the mandates of their ministries for national development.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, gave the warning on Thursday in Abuja at the opening of a two-day induction retreat organised by his office for the appointees.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Monday swore in the seven new ministers in a ceremony held at the council chamber of Aso Rock Villa.
The new cabinet members took the oath of office in two batches, four in the first batch and three in the second, after their citations were read by the State House Director of Information, Abiodun Oladunjoye.
The newly sworn-in ministers and their portfolios are: Dr Nentawe Yilwatda, Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction; Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi, Labour and Employment; Bianca Odinaka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, State, Foreign Affairs; Dr Jumoke Oduwole, Industry, Trade and Investment; Idi Mukhtar Maiha, Livestock Development; Yusuf Abdullahi Ata, State, Housing and Urban Development; and Dr Suwaiba Said Ahmad, State, Education.
Akume urged the ministers to uphold national interest, saying they were entrusted with the mandate of ensuring development, stability, and growth in their various sectors.
“As ministers in your respective ministries, the president has entrusted you with the mandate of driving the administration’s renewed hope agenda for development, stability, and growth in your sector.
“You are, therefore, expected to shun personal, ethnic and sectional interests and uphold our national interests.
“As ministers, your duties include upholding national cohesion and to promote peace for national unity and development,” Akume said.
He also urged the ministers to work as a cohesive and dedicated team to achieve the administration’s goals which are to tackle poverty, enhance security, drive economic diversification, and improve critical infrastructure, among others.
He said, “It is worthwhile to state that the Constitutional responsibilities of Ministers require deep focus on policy decisions, implementation and coordination. You are to provide leadership for your Ministries in the formulation, implementation and tracking of government policies, programmes and projects.
“You are expected to also communicate the impacts these programmes and projects are creating in a manner that promotes mutually benefiting engagements with the people we serve.”
On her part, Dr Hadiza Bala Usman, Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination, said the retreat will outline the president’s expectations, the performance metrics to guide their works and the targets that have been set.
“You will be expected to sign the performance bond of your respective ministries which contain the High Impact Deliverables, Indicators and performance metrics currently being implemented by your ministries.
Expectations for the Retreat
“This retreat is an opportunity for honourable ministers to gain not only theoretical insights but also practical strategies that you can apply immediately.
“By the end of the two days, each of the ministers should be well-equipped to:
Understand your ministerial roles and align with the goals of the administration; navigate the regulatory frameworks around finance and procurement processes confidently.
“Promote a culture of integrity within your ministry by upholding the highest standards of ethics and accountability. Engage with the media and public effectively, building trust and credibility,” Dr Hadiza said.
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