ABUJA — National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Prof Nentawe Yilwatda, has urged chief executive officers of Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, to actively support the re-election bid of President Bola Tinubu.
Yilwatda made the call on Wednesday when the agency chiefs, under the aegis of their forum, visited the APC National Secretariat in Abuja
The APC chairman rejected the description of the agency heads as merely technocrats, saying most of them were political appointees whose positions carried both professional and political responsibilities
“Many people describe some of you as technocrats, but I do not see you merely as technocrats Most of you are political appointees who earned the confidence of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu because of your competence, experience and commitment.
“Your appointments are not accidental They are both professional and political responsibilities. When you accepted these positions, you accepted the duty not only to serve the nation but also to contribute to the success of the administration that entrusted you with those responsibilities,” he said.
Yilwatda reminded the agency chiefs that many other Nigerians possessed the qualifications to occupy their positions, describing their appointments as a privilege that must be justified through service and performance
“The opportunity we have today is therefore a privilege, and we must justify that privilege through service, performance and loyalty to the mandate entrusted to us
“Indifference is not an option If we are not actively contributing to the success of the administration, then we are failing to maximise the opportunity and responsibility entrusted to us,” he said.
According to him, one way of justifying the confidence reposed in them was to support the success and continuity of the administration’s programmes and policies
The APC chairman welcomed the decision of the agency chiefs’ forum to partner with the party in communicating the achievements of the administration, saying the agencies were well positioned to provide information on government programmes
“Through your agencies, you are implementing programmes that directly impact citizens You understand the projects, the policies and the outcomes. You therefore have a responsibility to help bridge the information gap between government and the people.
“Every agency should be able to answer a simple question: What contribution is it making towards achieving a one-trillion-dollar economy?” he said
Yilwatda listed deep seaports, transportation networks, energy infrastructure and logistics corridors among the administration’s priorities, alongside the coastal highway project and expansion of the rail network
He said the achievements of government agencies must be effectively communicated to Nigerians
“Achievements do not speak for themselves They must be communicated clearly, consistently and credibly,” the APC chairman said.