The Minister of Finance and Co-ordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun has assured that things are going to change for the better in country soon.
“Things are going to change and be better, not only for Nigerians, but will make the Ministry attain global competitiveness,” he assured.
Edun gave the assurance Wednesday during a town hall meeting with the management and staff of the Ministry in Abuja.
This is according to a press release made available to the media which was signed by the Director of Press and Public Relations, Mr. Stephen Kilebi.
The meeting which was held at the instance of the Minister was aimed at exchanging views with the management and staff on how best to deliver on the mandate of the Ministry in the Renewed Hope Agenda of the current administration.
Edun said the essence of the meeting was, “Let me meet my people,feel their pulse and know what to do with them in order to deliver on the mandate given me by Mr.President .”
While seeking the cooperation and support of the staff to enable him deliver on the mandate given him by the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu led administration the Minister pledged to give due attention to staff welfare for better and efficient service delivery.
He added, “A tree does not make a forest.Working together, honouring one another and being fair to one another can perform wonders.”
He added, “I encourage staff to perform excellently in order to deliver in their callings not only for the Ministry but for the whole country.”
The Minister while appreciating the resilience and professionalism of Nigerian workers urged the staff to join hands with him to deliver on the mandate reposed on him by the President on his Renewed Hope Agenda.
He said the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda is a veritable tool for service delivery.
Edun added that President Tinubu is a leader, a coach and a strategist and will change the narrative. He said the President is “A man of empathy, who acknowledges the sufferings of Nigerians even when Nigeria is rich in all sectors will definitely change things around for good.”
Edun who acknowledged the President’s vision of inclusivity and gender friendly administration said, “I am extremely happy to be in the Ministry. I am privileged to be the Minister of Finance and the Coordinating Minister of the Economy and the Chairman Forum of African Ministers of Finance.” He noted that the task was enormous and he couldn’t do it alone without the support of the management team and the staff commitment.
He assured that staff welfare would be given top most consideration to ease their suffering, disclosing that plans were on the way for the provision of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses to alleviate the suffering of Nigerians as a result of the removal of fuel subsidy, stressing that with CNG buses Nigerians would pay less for transportation.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary Finance Okokon Udo, appreciated the Honourable Minister for his maiden meeting with the staff and pledged the support of the management and staff of the Ministry for his success.He noted that the meeting was a “veritable platform for interaction” adding that its essence was to “rub minds, express feelings, tell ourselves the truth constructively and how to move forward”.
Udo said that the Ministry has a conducive working environment for effective and efficient service delivery.
The Joint Union Chairman, Comrade Mohammed Attahiru, while officially welcoming the Minister said, the “Minister has broken the jinx by holding the interactive session adding that, the interactive meeting was what the trade union had been yearning for for years.
He mentioned that, based on the Minister’s pedigree which stood him out, the union has no doubt that he will perform creditably and promised him of their total support.
Some of the issues the union want the Minister to pay attention to included: provision of additional staff buses, payment of promotion arrears, continuous staff training and welfare packages among others.
In a vote of thanks, the Representative of the Joint Union Congress Josephine Amauwa commended the Minister for requesting for the meeting out of his busy schedules, nothing that, the staff, the Management and the Unions of the Ministry sincerely welcome the Honourable Minister to Federal Ministry of Finance.
She added that judging by the Minister’s past antecedents, he is a father figure, credible and trusted. She further pledged their support for his success in the Ministry.