Listed Is Buhari’s Target For Ministers (See)

According to reports by PUNCH says the president charged the new ministers to fulfill the the promises contained in the manifesto of the APC, during its campaign, and that the ministers will be assessed based on the set goals of this administration.

On Agriculture and Food Security:
The 29 paged party manifesto says the All Progressives Congress-led administration will embark on a massive and comprehensive re-organisation and revolutionalisation of the agricultural industry.

The objective, it adds, is to sustain agriculture as the strategic engine and prime-mover of national economic development to feed the nation;
to supply the raw material for industrial processing and manufacturing; and to earn stable remunerative prices in the local and international market.
Incidentally, the Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh, played a key role in drafting the document.

On Power:
The APC promised to vigorously pursue the expansion of electricity generation and distribution of up to 40,000 megawatts in four to eight years.

It also says the party will work assiduously at making available power from renewable energy sources such as coal solar, wind and biomass for domestic and industrial use, whenever these prove viable.

On Transportation:
The party promised to revamp the railways, waterways and road transportation noting that these are key to economic growth and development.

On Mineral and Steel Development:
The party said, it will invest heavily in the abundant solid mineral resources in all parts of Nigeria in a bid to create jobs, alleviate poverty and provide critical infrastructure.

On Education:
The manifesto says the APC in government will, after carrying out a thorough review of the education sector and having established the main causes of the sector’s terrible decline, fully implement and enforce the provisions of the Universal Basic Education Act with emphasis on gender equity in primary and secondary school enrolment whilst improving the quality and substance of our schools.

It also promised to reinstate the now abandoned Teacher Teaching Colleges to train teachers, target up to 10 per cent of our annual budget for the sector whilst making substantial investments in training programmes at all levels of the educational system, re-introduce Technical and vocational education nationwide.

The party also promised to provide adequate material support to such institutions, energise the inspectorate divisions of education ministries nationwide, and offer free and qualitative primary and secondary education to all but to tertiary level for women among others.

On Health:
It hopes to rationalize health care delivery through conscious efforts to enhance primary health care facilities across Nigeria and reduce costs and unnecessary pressure on secondary/tertiary health care facilities and increases the quality of all Federal Government owned hospitals to world class standard within five years.

The document also declares the APC’s readiness to provide free ante-natal care for pregnant women, free health care for babies and children up to school age and for the aged and free treatment for those afflicted with infectious disease such as tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS and to boost the local manufacture of 70 per cent of pharmaceuticals and make drugs for HIV/AIDS available.

Economic and Social Development:
According to the document, the APC-led administration will also vigorously pursue, promote and accelerate this sector, through industrialisation to create jobs, wealth and reduce poverty.