Poor Ministerial Performance: Tinubu’s Team Needs Rejigging

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President Bola Tinubu’s call to his newly appointed ministers in August 2023 to prioritise national interest over personal gain was a strong statement of intent, however, after one year, the widespread dissatisfaction among citizens suggests that the promise of progress has not been met with corresponding action.

Development Diaries reports that 22 August, 2024, marked one year since the president inaugurated his team of 45 ministers, but the administration’s performance leaves so much to be desired by Nigerians.

According to the most recent poll by the African Polling Institute (API), 84 percent of Nigerians interviewed have expressed profound sadness with the current state of affairs in the country.

The poll also showed that 68 percent of citizens thought that none of the cabinet members had performed well since their appointments.

Many citizens advocate a ministerial team rejigging if President Tinubu hopes to rescue the nation from an impending socio-economic doom.

The present dissatisfaction among citizens highlights a disconnect between the administration’s goals and the outcomes being experienced by the populace.

Citizens are especially frustrated by what they see as a lack of real progress in areas that are important to them. Security, economic stability, and poverty alleviation were major commitments made by Tinubu’s administration.

Recall the president also said that the ministers in his cabinet would only retain their offices based on performance, which would be reviewed quarterly.

According to the 2024 quarter-one assessment report by the President’s Special Advisor on Policy Coordination and the Central Delivery Coordination Unit (CDCU), all the ministers performed below par in terms of deliverables except the trio of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, and Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.

Nigerians have yet to feel the impact of renewed hope, mostly due to the underperformance of the ministers, hence, there might be a need to rejig the cabinet to have square pegs in square holes.

For instance, Nigeria needs a more effective sports minister. The nation performed poorly at the Olympics and no action has been taken. Underperforming ministers ought to be shown the exit door.

In light of the dissatisfaction shown by citizens, it is expected that President Tinubu will take decisive actions to address these concerns.

It is crucial for the president to demonstrate that his administration is not only aware of the people’s concerns but is also actively working to rectify any shortcomings. Failure to do so would erode public trust and diminish the government’s credibility, making it harder to achieve long-term goals.

Development Diaries calls on the president to hold underperforming ministers accountable, rejig his team, and introduce more rigorous performance evaluations.

Also, President Tinubu needs to strengthen his communication with citizens, and transparently convey both the challenges and successes of his administration.

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