Agenda for Tinubu’s ministers

There is no denying the fact that the 45 ministers, sworn in recently by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to lead the implementation of his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda have a daunting but clearly surmountable task of addressing the nation’s myriads of socio-economic and existential challenges, if only they put the national interest first at all times and give their very best in discharging their assigned responsibilities.

Therefore, we challenge the chosen wise men and women not to deviate from the various mandates given to them in their respective ministries by the Commander-in-Chief by diligently implementing the federal government’s policies and programmes designed to alleviate the current suffering in the land and restore Nigeria on the path of sustainable social, economic and technological growth for the greatest good of the majority.

Sadly however, the new cabinet is coming on board at a period of most worrisome negative economic and human development indicators since the return to democratic governance on May 29, 1999 including high inflation rate,  massive unemployment, over 20 million children out of school, pervasive insecurity, paltry foreign reserves, epileptic electricity supply, food scarcity, high cost of governance, infrastructure decadence, forex scarcity, credit crunch and naira depreciation and a debt burden of over N77trillion among others.

In our view, the ministers have the immediate task of not only hitting the ground running, but after a careful perusal of hand over notes of their predecessors in office, should embark on inspection of major capital projects undertaken with a view to arriving at proper evaluation of the current situation and making informed and appropriate recommendations to the new Federal Executive Council, FEC for necessary decisions and actions.

It is also, against this backdrop that we consider the President’s charge at the inauguration ceremony, that the ministers amongst others, have the enormous responsibility of shaping the new government’s policies that will significantly influence the lives of the over 200million Nigerians as very apt and timely in view of the nation’s current economic predicament.

Specifically, Tinubu had admonished his cabinet that “You are not a minister of a particular state, colony, region, or ethnic nationality. You are a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This is all about the cohesion and work of a great team, and I believe we now have it. It is an honour to be chosen to serve as a minister in the Federal Executive Council, and such a high honour comes with tremendous responsibility. In this moment of abundant promise and peril in equal measure, all of you that have been sworn in have been called to distinguish yourselves. Nigerians are highly expectant of excellence in service delivery, accountability, and transparency”.

Continuing, an apparently worried President reminded the new ministers that they cannot afford to disappoint the people,  who expect them to serve with “integrity, dignity and competence to actualize the Renewed Hope manifesto of the administration—failing which he will not hesitate to take necessary remedial measures. As your country honours you today, you must each work to make yourselves worthy in the eyes of God and our entire nation’s people. Your highest obligation is to restore public faith in government so that our people can once again believe that government can be a positive force for transformation and a vehicle for collective progress of all citizens of this great country”.

Significantly too, it is clear to all especially economic experts, that the greatest challenge facing the Renewed Hope Agenda is the economic crisis confronting the country inherited from the immediate past regime of President Muhammadu Buhari such that the federal government is broke as revealed recently by the highly authoritative JP Morgan, a US-based financial firm, disclosing that Nigeria’s foreign reserves plunged to $3.7 billion as of the end of 2022 indicating a $10.3 billion or 73.5 per cent year-on-year drop, from the  $14 billion recorded at the end of 2021 even as the country struggles to attract foreign investments and service her huge external debt which continues to take its toll on the reserves.

We are deeply concerned about the sharp drop in the foreign reserves which is a far cry from the $37.08 billion reported by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) at the end of last year and therefore, challenge the nation’s apex bank to clear the air on the issue and set the records straight for the benefit of citizens.

Unfortunately, the larger implication of the nation’s account being in the red is that the  Tinubu’s administration has the difficult task of first putting the economy on a sound footing to be able to generate the needed revenue for the execution of its people-oriented programmes since the reality on ground is such that the country cannot afford to turn to international finance institutions like the IMF and World Bank for fresh loans given the heavy debt burden.

Consequently, we demand that the Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister of the economy, Mr. Wale Edun should immediately ensure that all leakages identified in revenue generating agencies of the federal government before now are plugged in order to collect maximum needed funds not only for the smooth running of government but also the implementation of capital projects that directly impact the citizens.

As a further step, he should constitute a Fiscal and Monetary Committee to be chaired by him but with the mandate of thinking out of the box to proffer practical solutions to the existing economic hardship including reducing the high rate of inflation which has further thrown many citizens into the poverty bracket in addition to the estimated 133 million multi-dimensional poor Nigerians, bringing down the cost of food items and services triggered by petrol subsidy removal as well as diligent and honest distribution of the government palliatives to checkmate suffering of the people.

We further recommend that Edun should create a solid platform for regular engagement with commissioners for finance across the 36 states in order to enthrone a synergy between the two levels of government, achieve better coordination and implementation of people-oriented programmes for the greatest good and for the greatest number as well as aiding the implementation of Tinubu’s economic blueprint. Both governments can’t afford to work at cross purposes henceforth as such will militate against the full benefits derivable.

It is also in the nation’s best interest at this point in time that the government at the centre should adopt zero tolerance to ongoing crude oil theft in the Niger Delta through proactive measures to stop the crime and boost  output in order to generate  more foreign exchange to the Federation Account, not only to service the nation’s increasing debts but fund many capital projects for the continued economic growth and stability of the country.

Additionally, the federal and state governments must as a  matter of national priority initiate concrete measures aimed at diversifying the Nigerian economy and not to be solely dependent of oil and gas for export in order to rake in huge foreign exchange from other revenue sources like agricultural products and solid minerals in the immediate future especially in the interest of the manufacturing sector which depends largely on imported raw materials for production of goods.

We are encouraged by the speed with which the ministers, among them Barr. Nyesom Wike (FCT) and his Works counterpart, Chief Dave Umahi are settling down to business and embarking on visits to various major ongoing projects across the FCT and deplorable federal highways in order to get first hand information on same. Other ministers should toe the path.

Ministers should particularly view their appointment as a call to service and not an opportunity to personal aggrandizement, enrich a few cronies or relations, present themselves as servants of the people, make hard work, honesty, integrity and leadership by example their watchwords, focus on the prompt completion of abandoned projects within available resources, before embarking on new ones while national interest must always prevail. The ministers of agriculture and his counterpart in power should also pay special attention to the cultivation of more food items through inputs to farmers and fishermen to guarantee food security as well as boost electricity generation and supply to both domestic consumers and manufacturing sector of the economy.

Again, we demand that the nation’s security architecture should be totally overhauled with a strong recommendation that the President initiate an executive bill to the National Assembly for the needed constitutional amendment and backing for the creation of State Police in line with the principles of true federalism and presidential system of government more so since the primary function of any government is the welfare and security of all citizens. Certainly, there can’t be any meaningful social, economic and technological advancement in the absence of adequate security of lives and property.

Above all, the ministers should strive to etch their names in gold in the sand of time in terms of sterling performance and service to father land while the media must at all times be alive of its responsibility of holding the various tiers of government fully accountable to the people who gave  them the  mandate to superintendent over the nation’s common wealth which must be spent judiciously and honestly to provide more democracy dividends to the citizens and make life worth living.

We believe strongly that for Nigeria to make any  meaningful socio-economic and technological impact and be accorded her respect among the comity of nations requires a total break from its ugly past as a society notorious for bribery and corruption, bad governance, insecurity and constant attacks on the rule of law by even those expected to enforce same. Therefore, the era of ceaseless looting of the nation’s resources by a few public office holders in the name of governance must stop while the people must constantly interrogate their representatives at the federal, state and council levels as well as the newly sworn in ministers to ensure that elected public officials fulfill their electioneering promises to the electorate. This is non-negotiable.

For a better society

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