Minister of budget assumes duty, calls for ideas from staff

The Minister of Budget and Planning, Mr Udo Udoma, on Thursday solicited the support and input of the ministry' staff to enhance the planning and budgeting process in the country.

Udoma, who made the call at a meeting with the management and staff of the ministry, assured them that no idea would be dismissed.

He said that the country was going through a challenging period that required hard work from the staff to revive the economy.

"No time to waste; we have a budget to implement and we are coming for actions.

"I want to assure you that things will get better if we work together as a team, because my approach is to work with everyone,’’ the minister said.

Similarly, Mrs Zainab Ahmed, Minister of State in the ministry, said the new administration would consolidate on the good plans on ground.

Ahmed said that budget was already in place and the key areas to prioritise were already outlined for the team to focus on.

"We have to start running, not walking, to achieve our goals and I am happy that we have capable hands that will achieve the feat.

"We have to make sure that we implement plans that will address poverty and address other problems in the country,’’ she said.

Earlier, the out-going Permanent Secretary, Mr Bassey Akpanyung, told the ministers that the commission had struggled to make the required impact in line with its mandate.

"There is nothing that can happen without the endorsement of the Budget and Planning Ministry because if the country must grow and develop, we have to have a developmental plan.

"When we started, we started well but derailed because there was disconnection between budget and planning.

"We could not achieve the developmental plan.

"I am so happy that the present administration has identified the fact that it has to be a plan-lead and policy- lead administration.

"When I turn around and see the calibre of people that have been sent here to man the ministry, I am confident that the economy will improve tremendously,’’ he said.

According to him, the ministry is in charge of economic and development issues as well as inflow of technical assistance and grants coming into the country.

Also, Mrs Fatima Mede, the in-coming Permanent Secretary who was deployed from the Federal Ministry of Environment, expressed willingness to learn from the staff.

"I am here to learn from you; right away I want to pledge on behalf of you all to the ministers that we will be committed, transparent and we will support them.

"We will be the epic of civil servant; the epic civil servant that will be efficient, productive and incorruptible as well as citizen-centred,’’ Mede said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that after the meeting with the ministers, Mede held her first meeting with officials of the ministry.