The harsh realities of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is still unfolding with President Muhammadu Buhari admitting that the country’s revenues have fallen by almost 60 percent.
President Buhari’s message was delivered by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the start of the first-year Ministerial performance review retreat holding in Abuja.
The President also acknowledged the increase in electricity tariff to the new pump price of petrol and the falling revenue, but insists tough decisions must be taken to achieve economic sustainability.
A time to look inward and review their performance in the past year, coincidentally this comes at excatly one year after Federal ministers were sworn in and assigned portfolios in the second term of President Muhammadu
Buhari’s administration.
The outcome of this retreat, will have cabinet members either give themselves a pat on the shoulder or a smack on the wrist in carrying out the mandate to deliver on the President’s nine priority areas.
President Muhammadu Buhari in a prepared speech read by the vice president acknowledged the challenges but insists the administrations policies are all formulated and implemented to improve the quality of lives and set
Nigeria on the path of prosperity.
Mr. President attempt to explain the logic behind recent increases in electricity tarrifs and pump price of PMS may still not suffice as Nigerians and Organised labour opposed this new price regime, but the federal governmet insists these tough decisions must be made as part of its economic sustainability plan.
The secretary to the government of the federation who is also the head of cabinet says the past year have been the most productive for the Federal Executive Council.
The Ministers have been very productive since they took the oath of office, this commendation is coming from The secretary to the government of the federation.
So far council has processed more rhan 250 memos, and approved 191 . 50 out of the approved Memos are policy related while 128 are project contracts.
The federal government says it has however been unable to monitor approved projects, policies and programmes due to the lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, but reassures that this process will be accelerated.
This kind of self appraisal will help President Buhati’s administration better evaluate its service to citizens especially at a time when some of the federal government’s policies and actions have caused public outrage
and criticisms.
