What’s Sauce for the Goose is Sauce for the Gander, Says FK’s Body Language
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R-L: Capt Alex Badeh Jr., DG, NSIB; Engr Umar Ahmed Farouk, MD, NAMA; Dr. Emmanuel Meribole, Permanent Secretary, Min of Aviation & Aerospace Development, Bar Festus Keyamo, Minister of Aviation & Aerospace Development, Ag DGCA, NCAA, Capt Chris Najomo; Mrs. Olubunmi Oluwaseun Kuku, MD, FAAN; Mr. Joseph Shaka Imalighwe, Ag Rector, NCAT; Prof. Charles Anosike, DG, NIMET; after signing the performance bond, Thursday, 11th January 2024
How else can one interpret the replication by barrister Festus Keyamo, FK, Aviation and Aerospace Development Minister, of the performance bond President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, PBAT, subjected all the appointed ministers to duly signed as another layer of undertaking apart from the oath of office, in which the ministers vowed to deliver on their respective tasks or voluntarily throw in the towel if overwhelmed by challenges in their offices.
Barrister Festus Keyamo, FK, had created a niche in which he made use of administrative instruments in the authority of his office to bring all the newly appointed Directors and Chief Executives of agencies under the auspices of the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, to sign a performance bond and openly pledged commitment to drive the vision and mission of the ministry as conceived by the minister.
Recall that the minister at his first stakeholders’ forum in Ikeja GRA, Lagos, told the then directors, and chief executives of government aviation agencies that by the performance bond he signed with PBAT, he had no luxury of time for any lackey.
He emphasized that before any of the agencies Chief Executives’ poor performance attracts the wrath of his principal, PBAT, which could cost him his job, he would have nimbly shown the way out to any appointee whose performance is at variance with the letters, spirit, and public expectations from the slogan, “Renewed Hope” dogma as touted by PBAT, and the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC, political party.
Moreover, at the event last Thursday, FK read the riot act to the new appointees while entering into a solemn commitment with the minister and the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development. The minister also pledged that if any of the appointees were found doing gymnastics with the government’s till, he would by himself invite operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to be the guest of such director suspected of financial misdemeanor.
The special event, perhaps the first by any of the federal ministries also offered an orientation to the directors on how ministries and parastatals could efficiently operate without running foul of extant civil service regulations, CSR, or Government Orders, GO, and especially the procurement act whose infringement could earn the culprit a jail term.
The Special Adviser to the President on Policy Coordination, Hadiza Bala Usman, charged the CEOs and Directors to align with the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr. President. Stressing that citizens’ appraisal will be one of the major Key Performance Indicators, KPI, to appraise their work.
Keyamo however, reiterated the ministry’s five-point agenda thus; strict safety compliance, support for local airlines and meeting international standards, infrastructure improvement, human capacity development, and optimization of revenue generation for the Federal Government, as the fulcrum by which the ministry will impact the air transport industry under the present dispensation.
Hence, if the ministers were subjected to sign a contract pledging to deliver on the expectations from their ministries, the drivers (management of government agencies and parastatals) that will make expectations become reality should also be compelled to commit to delivering on assigned tasks.
Albeit, signing a performance bond is good for the ministers. In the same vein, it’s also good for the management of government aviation agencies. A reminder of the height of their stakes.
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Signing of performance agreement by the CEO’s with the minister is not a guarantee of their optimal performance..The presence of Hadiza Bala Usman where the bond was signed makes the performance bond signed by the appointees laughable because her exit from the NPA as it’s CEO was not cheerful enough hence she was suspended by PMB her principal then and the reason for her suspension is in the public domain. The only option left for the minister to guarantee his optimal performance that he’s going to be different from his immediate predecessor is to probe the inadequacies of his predecessor which is in the public domain and the minister has the details even before he was appointed as the aviation minister for him to earn the trust of the shareholders and the public. Hence integrity cannot be purchase but earn .