MDAs to study policy, but not ordered to recover mission trillions of naira
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) have been directed by Muhammadu Buhari to study a report on effective policy design and implementation without the President saying a word on the trillions of naira missing in them.
In August, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) sued Buhari to court for failing to probe N105.66 billion officially declared missing from 149 ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs).
SERAP said he failed to prosecute those responsible for the fraud and recover the missing public funds and is instead taking loans to impoverish Nigerians.
The suit came after federal Auditor General Adolphus Aghughu disclosed in his 2018 annual audited report released this year that N105,662,350,077.46 of public funds is missing, misappropriated or unaccounted for across 149 MDAs.
Aghughu also announced in August that MDAs failed to account for N4.97 trillion in 2019 when he presented the 2019 audit report to the National Assembly in Abuja.
Vision 2050
Buhari spoke when he received the report titled “Getting Things Done: Strategies for Policy and Programme Implementation in Nigeria” presented to him at the Villa by participants in Senior Executive Course 43 (2021) of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Plateau State.
He assured the course participants that the report would be treated with the seriousness and urgency it deserves.
‘‘As such, I am directing the MDAs and the National Steering Committee on the Vision 2050 to study the report, with the view to diligently consider the recommendations presented and incorporate them as part of over-all execution strategy,’’ he said.
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Buhari disclosed that his administration has invested in good governance and is making progress in getting results, so “this report becomes important and timely in our quest to enhance service delivery to our citizens.”
He said it is always happy to receive the input of the NIPSS on issues of great concern to the government and the country.
‘‘No nation will progress without paying close attention to the ways policies are made and implemented, as it is often unclear how best to ensure effective policy design and implementation.
‘‘The gaps between policy design and programmes implementation must be closed in order for our country to continue to make meaningful progress.
‘‘This was why I charged participants of the Senior Executive Course No. 43, 2021 to work on the theme: ‘Getting Things Done: Strategies for Policy and Programme Implementation in Nigeria’.
Putting learning to good use
Buhari noted that the research done by NIPSS Course No. 43 has drawn attention to the efforts of his administration in policy and programme implementation, as well as challenges faced.
‘‘The structure, content and mode of presentation of this report shows great commitment and hard work that has gone into it.
‘‘This confirms to me and our administration of the consistency and reliability of the National Institute in delivering on very critical and sensitive assignments of national importance.
‘‘While I congratulate the participants for justifying the confidence in nominating you for this course, I wish to commend the National Institute for once more living up to expectations.
‘‘Let me express my pleasure at the level of knowledge and discipline you have openly demonstrated about our country and our challenges.”
Buhari urged the course participants, drawn mainly from the senior cadre of federal and state civil servants to put to good use in their establishments what they learnt on the course.
‘‘I am convinced that you are now well equipped for the task of handling higher and more complex responsibilities for the benefit of our country.”
Acting NIPSS Director General of NIPSS Chukwuemeka Udaya, a Brigadier General, told Buhari that the 85 participants of Senior Course 43 were distributed into seven groups to interrogate the theme of the study.
‘‘The seven groups received lectures and presentations from top class resource persons, went on study tours in order to interact with and gather data on the theme for study from experts, public and private sector practitioners from across the globe carried out individual and group research work and rigorous intellectual debates,’’ he disclosed.
