President Bola Tinubu has vowed that his administration must achieve its set goals of fixing Nigeria for the wellbeing of the citizens.

To this end, the President admonished ministers and other officials he appointed into offices to ensure they perform their statutory functions optimally, warning that failure to deliver would lead to a sack

Tinubu spoke yesterday at the opening of a three-day retreat organised for ministers, presidential aides, permanent secretaries, and top government officials at State House, Abuja. The theme of the retreat was, “Delivering on the Renewed Hope Agenda.”

Speaking at the retreat, Tinubu charged his ministers, advisers, aides, and other government officials to help in the realisation of the administration’s goals. He declared that he would spare no effort in achieving his bid to redeem Nigeria from its current state.

The president reminded participants at the event that everything needed to lift the country from its current condition was within the government’s disposal. And he vowed to deploy as much resources as were necessary to achieve this.

Tinubu told the gathering of cabinet members and friends of Nigeria, “It’s our country. We have no other one, let’s be proud that we’re Nigerians and we can do it, you can show leadership. We can fight to make democracy a lasting reference for the rest of Africa.

“Don’t be afraid to take decisions, but don’t be antagonistic of your supervisor. If they are wrong, debate it. I stand before you and I have claimed several occasions and I’m saying today again, as the president I can make mistakes, point it to me, I will resolve that conflict, that error. Perfection is only that of God Almighty.

“But you are there to help me succeed. Success, I must achieve, by all means necessary. We have great minds, great intellect and all that we need.”

The president also said he would not complain about the enormous task of piloting the country through economic and social recovery. He said he had accepted to inherit all the assets and liabilities of his predecessors.

According to him, “I accept the assets and liabilities of my predecessor. It is part of my professional background. You are in this ship, don’t wreck it. See the minister as part of a team that will navigate and take it out of troubled waters.”

The president mentioned the priority areas of his administration.

He stated, “Healthcare is priority, education is a must. No other weapon against poverty than education. You have the opportunity to change things.”

He alluded to some issues the German chancellor had complained about, saying, “Those obstacles are gone, never to come back, we are open for business.”

Tinubu stressed the need for all public servants to work for the interest of the millions of Nigerians who elected the government. He said ending corruption and pulling at least 50 million Nigerians out of poverty were key goals of his administration.

The president explained, “We are going through the reform, painfully, and we still have other challenges. Don’t be a clog in the wheel of Nigeria’s progress. Let us look forward. Let us be determined that corruption will go, progress will be achieved, better wages for our workers, and living wages.

“We will transform the economy to work for millions of our citizens. We must take 50 million people out of poverty. We must build healthcare that works for all. Look around.

“Don’t be wicked. Look at the standard of education, look at the classrooms, and look at the roads. We can only spend the money, we will find it, we cannot spend the people.

“No crime in borrowing. Thank you World Bank for being a lending friend, but let your achievement be home-grown. The determination that Nigeria can do it is here.”

The president told Nigerians, “Don’t be selfish about it. Poverty is not a shameful thing, it’s only unacceptable and we have to banish it because it’s unacceptable.”

The president emphasised the need for unity among Nigerians, and assured that he was a president of all, regardless of religious, ethnic, political or other affiliations.

He charged participants at the retreat to work towards a great Nigeria, reassuring them that a great Nigeria is possible and a greater Nigeria will come with their commitment, guidance and resolution to give the nation direction.

According to Tinubu, “A great Nigeria is possible and a greater Nigeria will come under our commitment, guidance and resolute determination to give the country a direction. I am with you and, please, be assured that this great country is one family in one house geographically located partitioned and living in different rooms but we are one family.

“And we are here to make allegiance and give direction to that one family, making sure that relationship can only be stronger if we give hope to our people and can only achieve our vision with boldness and strong determination with collaboration.”

He charged civil servants to positively contribute to the success of the Renewed Hope Agenda, cautioning that they must not see political appointees as opportunists.

He stated, “I am here to assure you that I will work with you, the best brains we can put together in civil service, the best brains that we can put together in our democratic parliament and have been chosen for us by the public.

Earlier in his welcome address, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, while delivering the context setting, said the retreat presented an opportunity to deepen participants’ understanding of best practices in conducting government business.

Akume noted that the retreat would specifically keep members abreast of essential government matters, procurement, budgeting, and the anti-corruption drive, while exposing the executives to the Federal Executive Council, role of ministers and the permanent secretaries in managing ministries.