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3 Reasons Why I Accept To Serve As Minister Under Buhari – Senator Udoma Udo Udoma

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Senator Udoma Udo Udoma who served two terms in the Senate on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) representing Akwa Ibom South has listed three reasons why he has accepted to come back from his long retirement from partisan politics to serve as minister with President Muhammadu Buhari.
The former Senator, who was one of those screened by the senate and cleared today said that he was inspired by the personal example of President Buhari, saying: “I am impressed by his integrity, his abhorrence of corruption and his determination to run a transparent and accountable administration.
“His commitment to get Nigerians back to work thereby reducing unemployment; his resolve to tackle the current high level of insecurity, particularly the menace of Boko Haram; his identification with the common man and his desire to reduce the poverty and suffering of the masses; and above all, his commitment to re-orientate the Nigerian value system: these all resonate with me.
“And if he believes I can help him to fix our country, I am flattered by his confidence in me and have therefore decided to answer his call. And I intend, if my nomination is confirmed by this Distinguished Senate, to give my very best in the discharge of what will be a very onerous responsibility, particularly because of the times we are in.”
Udoman gave his second reason why he decided to answer the call of Mr President, saying that it is that he sincerely believe, with all humility, that “I have something to offer.”
According to him, je had had extensive private sector experience in motivating and managing large numbers of people, in setting objectives and meeting them, in cost management and driving costs out of operations, and most importantly, in turning around moribund institutions.
“I also understand the way public institutions work, having been the pioneer chairman of the Corporate Affairs Commission, and more recently, the chairman of the Securities & Exchange Commission, and I fully appreciate the very difficult challenges involved in implementing the public sector reforms which will be required to bring about the change Nigerians want. I have chaired a Presidential Committee that examined the incentives required to stimulate private sector growth in the economy. I have also chaired a Federal Government Task Force that extensively examined the reforms needed in the oil industry, and supervised the production of a draft Petroleum Industry Bill for consideration by Government. And whilst a member of this Distinguished Senate, I served, for some time, as chairman of the Appropriation Committee, and subsequently as Senate Chief Whip. I will, therefore, not be going into Government to begin to learn about the issues, and the problems. In short, I feel ready and prepared to hit the ground running in tackling the challenges inherent in trying to bring about change in the public sector, and to bring about change in Nigeria.”
The third reason why Senator Udoma accepted Buhari’s call to duty, he said is that during these very difficult economic times for Nigeria, with the dramatic fall in the prices of crude oil and public sector finances are under pressure, just as many States have difficulty in just paying salaries, the President needed serious minded person like him.
He said that the naira is being buffeted as the values in the Nigerian Stock Exchange have been seriously eroded “and we have experienced significant destruction of wealth as the economy continues to slow down. These are very difficult times. Times in which all Nigerians of goodwill must come together to work with Mr. President to salvage the situation.
“The elections are over. We must now all work together for the betterment of our country. As President Buhari said in 1983, ‘This generation of Nigerians, and indeed future generations, have no country other than Nigeria. We shall remain here, and salvage it together.’” [myad]

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