President Bola Tinubu has warned his 48 Ministers and other top appointees against under-performance otherwise they will be shown the way out of the cabinet.
This is even as the President also said he would not complain about the heavy task of piloting the country through economic and social recovery, stating that he had accepted to take responsibility for his predecessor’s failures and success.
President Tinubu, who made the declarations at the opening ceremony of his administration’s first Cabinet Retreat at the new Conference Centre of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Wednesday, made it clear that he would spare no resource to redeem the country from its current state.
The 2023 Cabinet Retreat, themed ‘Delivering on the Renewed Hope Agenda’, was organised for ministers, presidential aides, permanent secretaries and other top government functionaries.
He said; “It’s our country, we have no other one, let’s be proud that we’re Nigerians and we can do it, you can show leadership. We can fight to make democracy a lasting reference for the rest of Africa.
“Don’t be afraid to take decisions, but don’t be antagonistic of your supervisor. If they are wrong, debate it. I stand before you and I have claimed on several occasions and I’m saying today again, as the President, I can make mistakes, point it to me, I will resolve that conflict, that error. Perfection is only that of God Almighty.
“But you are there to help me succeed. Success, I must achieve, by all means necessary. We have great minds, great intellects, and all that we need.”
“I accept the assets and liabilities of my predecessor, it is part of my professional background. We are in this ship, don’t wreck it. I see the ministers as part of a team that will navigate and take the country out of troubled waters.
“Healthcare is priority, education is a must. No other weapon against poverty than education. You have the opportunity to change things.”
He also told the gathering that there would be periodic assessments of government functionaries and those who fail to measure up to the target of delivering the Renewed Hope Agenda of the administration would be shown the doors.
“You will sign a bond (of performance) with me, you If you are performing, nothing to fear, if you miss the objective, if you don’t perform, you leave us,” Tinubu declared.
He further tasked the functionaries, saying: “We must take 50 million out of poverty. Look around, don’t be wicked. We can only spend the money, we cannot spend the people.”
All participants at the three-day retreat will, among other things, sign the Ministerial Performance Bond, which will be periodically be reviewed.
