In a significant development, President Bola Tinubu is taking decisive action to evaluate the performance of his ministers, potentially putting their positions at risk. About 140 officials have been appointed to track and assess the ministers’ performances, with the first assessment exercise scheduled for the end of this month.
President Tinubu had previously issued a stern warning to all federal ministers, departments, and agencies to deliver on their promises to the Nigerian people after his inauguration in May 2023. The selected officials, drawn from 35 federal government ministries, departments, and agencies, are currently participating in the third technical retreat in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, focusing on the implementation of presidential priorities and ministerial deliverables.
Reports suggest that the Central Delivery Coordination Unit, led by Special Adviser to the President on Policy Coordination, Mrs Hadiza Bala-Usman, is overseeing the assessment process.
Bala-Usman emphasized President Tinubu’s commitment to improving the lives of Nigerians and warned that ministers failing to perform their duties would face dismissal.
The assessment will include ministers signing a performance bond with the President, outlining Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to be reviewed quarterly, culminating in an annual scorecard. This directive has increased the pressure on Tinubu’s ministers to deliver or face potential dismissal.
At the retreat, Bala-Usman reportedly echoed President Bola Tinubu’s words to participants when she warned that her principal would sack ministers who failed to perform their duties.
“ President Tinubu is poised to deliver on his promise of making life better and easier for Nigerians”, she said.
She further enjoined full collaboration and commitment of delivery officers and directors of planning in ministries, adding, “We must understand that the President is very serious about his promises and that ministers will be assessed, and ministers will be dropped if they don’t perform.”
While some individuals have praised the move, there has been criticism from others, including a government worker in the Federal Ministry of Aviation who raised concerns about the potential for ministers to overact under pressure.
Additionally, senior lawyer Mr. Ebun Adegboruwa questioned the moral justification for assessing ministers, arguing that President Tinubu himself should be evaluated for issues such as insecurity, inflation, and the collapse of the exchange and forex regime.
The new directive has sparked varying opinions, leaving uncertainty about the fate of Tinubu’s ministers as the assessment process unfolds.