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Tension in FEC As Yar'Adua Vows to Sack Non-Performing Ministers

Leadership
Golu Timothy
29th Jan. 2008

For the first time in the life of this administration, palpable tension engulfed the membership of the federal executive council (FEC) as President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua shocked his ministers of an imminent cabinet reshuflement for those who fail to perform or meet the target set for the people.

He warned them to sit up and catch the speed of his vision or be shown the way out. He said his government has no place for lazy and uncreative public officials at their level, and therefore hard times await any of them who fails to deliver in his assigned responsibilities.

The ministers who are obviously aware of the presidential intention, have begun frantic moves to improve on their performamces, by initiating close contacts with their directors and heads of parastatals to safe their lucrative jobs. The President may declare the highly touted state of emergency in the power sector in February where he may also brief the nation on the direction of his administration and on what he intends to achieve in short term and medium term as part of the 2020 Vision.

There are also indications that government is preparing a supplementary budget for the Niger-Delta, Transportation and Energy sectors. The government also hopes to put an end to the hostility in the Niger-Delta so that contractors can move in and complete key projects in the area; as government has shown more interest to embark on more visible projects.

LEADERSHIP findings revealed that Yar'Adua has constituted a high powered monitoring and assessment panel headed by him to monitor the performance of the ministers with a view to achieving set targets in line with the government's seven point agenda.

Government's latest decision, it was gathered is coming against the backdrop of absence of planning at all levels and in all sectors which has gone on for decades now.

A highly placed presidency source told our correspondent that other members of the presidential panel include Vice President Goodluck Jonathan, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Ambassador Babagana Kingibe and the Chief of Staff to the President, General Mohammed Abdullahi (rtd). The rest are the Head of Service, Ministers of Finance and those of National Planning and Transportation.

According to our source, the panel has been meeting every Saturday since December between 10:00am and 6:00pm, where "each minister, along with those of state and directors in the ministry would brief the panel on what they are doing, the challenges and what they can achieve this year and by the year 2010".

Ministers and their ministry officials are also expected by the president to look at what government termed as "deliverables" projects and set timelines. They are also to examine uncompleted projects in their ministries and the ones that can add value by completing no matter where such projects are located.

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