Uche Usim, Abuja
The Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, has charged chairmen and members of newly reconstituted boards under her ministry to live above board in all their dealings.
The boards inaugurated were those of the Nigerian Export/Import Bank (NEXIM), the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), the Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme and the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM).
Speaking at the boards’ inauguration in Abuja on Thursday, Adeosun said President Muhammadu Buhari chose the members on trust, urging them not to let him down.
He said the President had 190 million Nigerians to choose from but chose them to take the agencies and the country as a whole to the next level.
Adeosun called on members of the board to see their appointments as a call to national service, adding that they should discharge their assignment with patriotism. She said the agencies are important in the government’s drive to implement the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP). She called on members of the board to bring their knowledge to bear in repositioning their respective agencies in a pragmatic manner.
She said the boards should provide a policy direction for these agencies while the policies should be implemented by the chief executives.
For instance, the Finance Minister said as a major facilitator for non-oil export, the board of NEXIM should come up with policies that would support the diversification efforts of government.
For Customs, the Minister said as a trade facilitation agency, the board should work with the management of the service in achieving its mandate.
She said Customs is also vital to the Presidential Enabling Council of Ease of Doing Business in implementing the agenda of competitiveness and ease of doing business.