President Tinubu tasks ministers on economic revival, impactful leadership

On Monday, at the maiden edition of the Federal Executive Council (FEC), President Bola Tinubu gave marching orders to ministers to roll out action plans aimed at reviving the economy and making life more bearable for the people.

He gave the charge while addressing the cabinet members at the opening of the maiden meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

“We have talents; we have the level of intellectuals and capacity to turn this country around. You and I know that the expectation is high and there is a tough time right now; therefore, we must work hard, commit ourselves, and create a buoyant economy that will serve every Nigerian,” the president told the ministers.

He further charged them to work as a team, insisting that they stay focused as they discharge their responsibilities so that the country can move forward.

“Everyone of you is a member of this team; we can do whatever we want in our areas of responsibility, but it all depends on you. If you stay focused, we will all arrive at a better destination, and the country will be better for it,” he said.

President Tinubu stressed that the natural endowments of the country must be properly harnessed so as to make life better for its citizens.

“We must unlock the energy and natural resources of this country. We must start to produce for ourselves, dig ourselves out of the woods, focus on education and healthcare, and make social investments that are essential for the development of our people.

“Our priority areas are defined in our economic programs.” Every area is our priority, and you belong in the driver’s seat to realize and make that priority a fulfilling promise to the entire nation and the continent of Africa.

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“We must achieve the economic growth that is expected of us. We must feed our people; we must leverage what we have and grow more to satisfy Nigerians. It is only in your hands now,” he stated.

He assured the ministers that he is ready to listen to the yearnings of Nigerians and make corrections where necessary, as he enjoined the ministers to be bold in making decisions that would move the nation forward.

“I am ready to listen. Like I said to the Nigerian Bar Association yesterday, I am ready even for corrections because only God is perfect. Don’t be afraid to make decisions; that’s the problem of leadership,” he said.

Tinubu also said challenges confronting the nation like security, unemployment, and food security would be addressed in order to alleviate the plight of citizens.

He noted that the country would rely on the experience, skill, intellect, and networking of those who had been appointed to make headway in the challenging times, and failure would not be explained away under his watch.

“As I said during the inauguration, I am the bus driver, and you are the conductors. We have to make sure this country stays on the right path to succeed on behalf of over 200 million Nigerians. We willingly accepted the appointment, and I accepted the mandate of Nigerians.

“I have delegated some of these powers to you to serve the country. You are a very lucky person to be selected among millions of Nigerians, and we will use the opportunity to show that Nigeria has what it takes to dig ourselves out of our problems.

“We must find a home-grown re-engineering of our finances, manage our resources, and let the economy work for the people of this country.

“There are so many things some cynics will say are impossible, but in your dictionary of service, everything is possible and must be possible. We have the talents and the intellectual capacity to turn this country around.

“You and I know that the expectation is high, and it’s a tough time right now. We must work hard, commit ourselves, and create a buoyant economy that will serve every Nigerian. We have an employment level that is unacceptable. We are threatened by climate change. We still have underemployment.

“But to turn things around, you have been selected to perform your utmost best. The policy agenda will be set out to reform the economy to deliver sustainable and inclusive growth and strengthen national security for peace and prosperity. Without security, there can be no investment. That is true. You have to convince them, and the time is now to do that.

“When you look around the world, every leader is clamoring for what they believe should be their policy on food security. We have declared a state of emergency. What is your goal?

“Every one of you is a member of this team, every one of you, no partitioning. We can do whatever we want with the assignment of responsibility, but it all depends on you. If you stay focused, we will all arrive at a better destination, and the country will be better off for it.

“We must unlock the energy and natural resources of this country. We must start producing for ourselves and dig ourselves out of the hole. We must focus on education, healthcare, and social investment, which are essential for the development of our people.

“Our priority areas are defined in our economic programs.” Every area is our priority, and you belong in the driver’s seat to realize and make that priority a fulfilling promise to the entire nation and the continent of Africa.

“You must achieve the economic growth that is expected of us. We must feed our people. We must leverage what we have and grow more to satisfy Nigerians. It’s all in your hands now.