Lagos, Nigeria - The private sector-led Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) has proposed the establishment of a performance management system that will set targets, track the performance of the newly-appointed ministers and the federal administration in the implementation of government programmes. 'The issue in our country is not what policies we should be implementing. The issues are very clear: power, road infrastructure, law and order, the diversification of the economy and investment in human capital development,” NESG Director-General Frank Nweke told journalists in Lagos over the weekend.

On Saturday, the newly-appointed government ministers and special advisers to the President rose from their two-day retreat in Abuja, the federal capital, reaffirming their commitments to the success of transforming Nigeria into a peaceful, harmonised and stable democracy that is globally competitive.

But Nweke, who was a former information minister and one of the guest speakers at the retreat, wondered why - in spite of the awareness of regime after regime on the critical areas that need to be addressed - the infrastructure deficit remains a cog in the wheel of progress.

He express the belief that if the evaluation system was put in place, performance of governments, ministers and special advisers will be easily measured.

“We advise very strongly that government should identify not more than five priorities areas and focus on these areas and track the performance of the ministers, track the performance of the administration, monthly, quarterly and give account to the Nigerian people.

'We don’t need aliens to tell us that we need power, roads, we need to be protected, security needs to be guaranteed for citizens and investors. When we have put in place policies or programmes..., we must figure a way to hold the cabinet accountable,” he said.

Pana 18/07/2011