Babatunji Wusu –
Like the other thirteen weeks, the most recent one passed without incident, but like those weeks before it, it left Nigerians with important things to think about. On some days, there weren’t many events, but the ones that did kept President Bola Tinubu in the office until after dark. There were also those that had significant incidents but allowed him to end early. In the end, it was the week that will always be remembered as epochal in the history of the administration since it saw the President define goals for the office and inform Nigerians of the course he plans to take the nation in.
The conduct of the first-ever Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting on Monday has been determined to be the week’s most important event, despite the fact that he made a number of noteworthy speeches and made a few appointments. Like the day before, it was a very colorful day when the ministers were sworn in; the auditorium was packed to capacity with government officials who were going to receive orders to turn the country around.
Since May 29, when he took office, Tinubu has made it clear that he is concerned about how the country’s finances and overall economy have done and that he won’t spend any time putting things back in line. His first official act as president was to order the long-standing gasoline subsidy to end while he was still standing at the stage where he had received the Oaths of Office and Allegiance. He then explained that he did this because of the subsidy’s stranglehold on Nigeria’s fundamental existence.
He has repeatedly expressed his opinions about how Nigeria has performed over the years. He is not happy with how the economy has been managed, particularly in terms of resource generation and deployment, and he thinks that fixing the issue needs to be a serious and urgent endeavor. He has so left a trail of what can be expected along the route from the get-go.
It was expected that his motivational speech to his ministers on their first official day together would center on reviving the economy and allowing the underprivileged to truly breathe.
“As I mentioned at the inauguration, you are the conductors and I am the bus. For the sake of the almost 200 million Nigerians who call this country home, we must ensure that it continues down the correct path. We voluntarily took the position, and I voluntarily accepted the Nigerians’ mandate. To better serve the nation, I have given you some of these authority. You are really blessed to have been chosen out of the millions of Nigerians who applied, and we’ll take advantage of the chance to prove that Nigeria has what it takes to solve its problems. We need to re-engineer our financial system from the ground up, manage our resources, and allow the economy function for the benefit of the people of this nation.
In your dictionary of service, everything is possible and must be feasible. There are a lot of things that cynics will declare are impossible. We possess the skills and degree of intelligence necessary to turn around our nation. We both understand that the stakes are enormous and that this is a challenging time. We must put in a lot of effort, commit to doing so, and build a robust economy that benefits every Nigerian. Unacceptable employment levels exist in our country. Climate change is a hazard to us. There is ongoing underemployment.
“However, you have been chosen to do your absolute best in order to turn things around. The goal of the policy agenda will be to strengthen national security for peace and prosperity while also reforming the economy to produce inclusive and sustainable growth. Investments cannot be made if security is not present. That’s accurate. The time is now to persuade them, so do it now. Every leader in the globe is clamoring for what they believe should be their policy on food security, if you take a look around. The situation has been deemed emergency. What is the aim?
“There is no segmentation; each and every one of you is a part of this team. We are free to take on any duty we choose, but it all relies on you. If you maintain your focus, we will all reach our goals more quickly and the nation will benefit as a result. The nation’s natural resources and energy must be unlocked. We need to start providing for ourselves so that we can get out of this hole. For the development of our people, we must prioritize social investment, healthcare, and education.
“Our economic programs specify our focus areas. Every area is our top priority, and you should be in charge of realizing it and turning it into a promise to the entire country and the continent of Africa. You must attain the level of economic growth required of us. Our people need to be fed. To please Nigerians, we must grow more and make better use of what we already have. He had told the ministers last Monday that everything was now in their hands.
Various parts of the country have reviewed this Presidential charge, which is highly influenced by economic worries. They have also provided suggestions for how they think the administration, through the ministries, may accomplish the goals stated by the President.
The Guardian newspaper’s editorial opinion on Friday emphasized the pressing need for time and the fact that people can’t wait to start breathing easier. According to the newspaper, all that is required for the country to overcome the obstacles put in its path and achieve the desired ease, which is the President’s primary goal, is for each minister to take his or her position seriously, concentrate on the task at hand, and have a sincere desire to succeed.
“Now that President Bola Tinubu has established the Federal Executive Council (FEC), with separate ministerial portfolios assigned, his administration should get down to business. So much needs to be done in so little time. Nigerians, who are understandably eager, cannot afford for ministers to laze around. Each ministry has a vital role to play and should handle the various problems impacting the nation under its purview.
“If every minister works assiduously to overcome obstacles in his area of responsibility, it would translate to the advancement of the nation and bring relief to the unfortunate Nigerians who are directly affected by the cruel economic policies of the government, which are topped by the elimination of the petrol subsidy. Ministers should establish a realistic agenda for themselves, include a deadline for completion and public assessment methods. If the new cabinet continues to run things the same way as the old, it will be bad for the ministers and the country, the daily said.
Additionally, Mr. Egufe Yafugborhi, a journalist and public affairs expert based in Port Harcourt, examined the three items from the President’s charge to the ministers that should be of particular concern to them.
“First, let me draw attention to the fact that the cheering appeal on the President’s first meeting with the ministers was not made in the appropriate sequence of shape up or ship out. His forerunners had issued the identical directives, but without anything close to the desired outcomes. The President’s emphasis on every cabinet member, and ministers in particular, seeing the management of their respective portfolios as mutually inclusive to realizing the eight-point agenda for economic recovery is one of the heartening takeaways from the first FEC meeting that were pointers to the President’s commitment to making a difference.
The President referred to the work before the cabinet as Herculean and compared it to swearing to “fetch water from a dry well,” which was the second indicator of it. Following on from that, he promised to empower them (ministers) to make judgments without hesitation and to grant them the freedom to use their best judgment in achieving their portfolio targets, which will ultimately contribute to the overall objectives.
However, after everything is said and done, both the bus driver (the President) and the conductors in Tinubu’s analogy must understand that achieving the desired results won’t be possible through wishful thinking. It will only happen if everyone honors their promise and puts out all necessary effort to make what appears to be impossible possible to the pleasure of Nigerians. It’s fantastic that the President has unified everyone by issuing consistent commands. Everyone must now act with integrity and commitment instead of just talking the talk. Making an impact is definitely doable, according to Yafugborhi.
There were other extremely intriguing activities during the week that were equally worthy of the interest of various parts of society. Of course, the first FEC meeting will always be of interest to the majority, much more the aim that would be set at the meeting.
For instance, the President used Sunday to address the Nigeria Bar when he appeared at the NBA’s Annual Conference’s opening ceremony in Abuja and discussed the necessity for the country to adopt a fresh approach to public financing. Along with starting the FEC process, efforts were taken on Monday to reduce the expense of governance by reducing spending on foreign official engagements.
He heard from the private sector community on Tuesday. Tony Elumelu, chairman of HEIRS Holdings, visited on behalf of the business community to thank him for his efforts in repositioning the economy so far. The Niger Delta Development Commission’s (NDDC) new board and management were appointed on the same day.
Then, from Wednesday through Friday, his agenda was occupied by both international and some local aims. The Gabon coup, resolving the Niger Republic’s worries, and numerous other regional matters took up much of his time.
According to information provided to media on Friday by his spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelale, the coming week would focus more on luring foreign direct investments and other benefits from India, where he will be attending the G20 Leaders Summit. What we must observe is this.
