Don’t abandon your work for political campaigns, Buhari warns Ministers

President Muhammadu Buhari has warned his Ministers against abandoning their jobs and plunging themselves into political campaigns for the 2023 elections.

Addressing participants Tuesday at the closing of the 3rd Ministerial Review and Performance Retreat, which started Monday in State House, Abuja, the President warned the Ministers, Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Government Agencies not to abandon the business of governance for electioneering, saying, “any infraction will be viewed seriously”.

According to a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, the closing ceremony was preceded by the signing of Executive Order 012 on Improving Performance Management, Coordination and Implementation of Presidential Priorities, by Buhari.

The President told participants at the Retreat that with the commencement of campaigns towards the 2023 general elections, the business of governance must continue to receive the needed attention during this period.

“Consequently, all Ministers, Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Agencies must remain focused in the discharge of their duties, as any infraction will be viewed seriously.

“Our collective goal is to map out a transition plan for the incoming Administration to ensure proper documentation of all the policies, programmes and projects of government with up-to-date status of implementation,” he said.

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President Buhari noted that the lessons learned in the last three years of implementing the administration’s policies, programmes and projects would serve as the needed tool to propel every ministry to remain committed, towards the achievement of developmental objectives.

He, therefore, charged all ministers, permanent secretaries and heads of government agencies to step-up, double their efforts and work in synergy toward total delivery of the Administration’s set targets.

On Executive Order 12, the President explained that it would institutionalise a culture of accountability and transparency in the pursuit of good governance.

He also directed the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) to continue with the quarterly review process and assessment of ministries for the third and fourth Quarters of 2022, saying the reports will form part of transition documents of his administration to the incoming government.

To achieve this objective, the President ordered all Ministers and Permanent Secretaries to ensure that the performance reports of their ministries are submitted on a quarterly basis to the Office of the SGF for review by the Central Delivery Coordination Unit.

“The outcome of these reviews would be made available for my consideration,” the President said.