By Okon Okon
Mr Boss Mustapha , Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), has tasked ministers to ensure the completion of President Muhammadu Buhari’s legacy projects before the end of his administration.
Mustapha gave the charge at the `3rd Year Ministerial Performance Review Retreat’, organised by the Office of the SGF for ministers, permanent secretaries and top government functionaries on Monday in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 2-day retreat aimed at providing update on the status of policies, programmes and projects of government, to prepare the incoming cabinet members to assume their roles.
The retreat was also designed to map a trajectory towards the delivery of the present administration’s priority agenda for 2019 to 2023.
Mustapha said the 2022 retreat was the 4th and the last in the series of ‘Presidential Retreats’ to be organised during the 2nd term of President Muhammadu Buhari.
“The retreat provides an opportunity for the government to assess its performance and track the progress of its commitment to deliver the development aspirations captured in the nine priority areas adopted at the 2019 retreat.
“The ministers in the last three years, have been implementing the deliverables assigned to them in line with their ministerial mandates signed by the Ministers/Permanent Secretaries which served as a performance bond with the president.
“The main objective is to present a performance report on the ministerial mandates and the nine priority areas based on data from the Central Delivery Coordination Unit (CDCU) Performance Management System.
“Other objectives are to analyse and discuss reasons for achievements or non-achievement of performance targets; identify and agree on strategies to improve performance and recognise accomplishment.’’
To achieve the set objectives, the SGF said the retreat was structured into three main focus areas to include an overview of ministerial performance within the last three years of the administration, the reflection on lessons.
He said it also included the good practices from the ‘Kenyan Presidential Delivery Unit’.
In addition, to focus on ways to accelerate the delivery of flagship projects and programmes of Buhari’s administration before its end in May 2023.
The structures, according to him, will present key achievements and identify opportunities for improvement.
Mustapha, however, used the occasion to highlight on a legal framework for the institutionalisation of the delivery of presidential priorities in Nigeria in line with the president’s directive at the 2021 ‘Mid-Term Retreat’.
“The office of the SGF has put in place, a legal framework for the institutionalisation of the delivery of Presidential Priorities in Nigeria.
“In this regard, an Executive Order on ‘Improving Performance Management, Coordination and Implementation of Presidential Priorities of the Federal Government of Nigeria’, has been developed and will be formally signed by His Excellency, Mr President at this retreat.
“The Executive Order is meant to strengthen the National Monitoring and Evaluation Policy recently approved by the Federal Executive Council. ”
NAN reports that the retreat attracted the presence of President Muhammadu Buhari, the Vice- President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, the immediate past President of the Republic of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta.
Others included the leadership of the National Assembly, the British High Commissioner, Ministers, Permanent Secretaries, top government functionaries and other guests. (NAN)