FG committed to implementing credible delivery system in Nigeria – Usman

The Minister/Deputy Chairman, National Planning Commission, Dr. Shamsuddeen Usman, has stated that the administration of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, is committed to implementing a credible delivery system in Nigeria.
Usman stated this on Thursday in a key note address he presented during a meeting of the National Council on Development Planning, which was held in Makurdi, Benue State.
The NCDP meeting was a follow up to the preparatory meeting of the Joint Planning Board, which was held between December 18 and 19, 2012.
The purpose of the meeting was to discuss and agree on strategies for entrenching economic planning at the sub-national levels.
Usman said: “I am pleased to confirm to you that the current Administration is committed to implementing a credible delivery system in Nigeria.
“The state governments are also being encouraged to adopt the approach, in order to strengthen their states’ economies and ensure service delivery to their people.”
The theme of the meeting was: “Cascading the Performance System Management for effective Implementation of Development Plans at the sub-national level.”
According to Usman, the theme was designed to aptly reflect the commitment of the present administration and collective aspiration to ensure that public resources are effectively and efficiently deployed by public officials saddled with the responsibility for programmes and projects implementation, to achieve positive outcomes for the people of Nigeria.
Explaining the concept of performance measurement as a systematic process for driving progress and delivering results for enhanced performance, the minister also revealed that the concept of performance measurement has been adopted by several countries to focus on service delivery and to transform their economies.
Usman said the elements of a credible delivery system are: persistence, discipline, rigour, courage and resolving difficult issues in staffing organisation and relationship with stakeholders.
The minister also told the participants that the performance management is also critical in that governments and their officials are held publicly accountable for their achievements or otherwise, in service delivery to the people.
This, he said, is consistent with the objectives of the Transformation Agenda and the Nigerian Vision 20:2020.
The Deputy Governor of Benue State, Stephen Lawani, who stood up for Governor Gabriel Suswam at the meeting, pointed out that consistent planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation can get Nigeria to achieve its dream for rapid development.
Commissioners of States’ Planning Commissions are members of the NCDP body under the chairmanship of the Minister, National Planning.
The recommendations/resolutions arrived at the JPB meeting, which preceded the NCDP meeting presided over by the Secretary, National Planning Commission, was endorsed by the NCDP.
Among others, the key JPB recommendations endorsed by the NCDP are: states are to work closely with the NPC in cascading the performance management system at the sub-national levels in order to ensure service delivery and the effective implementation of development plans and that all federal MDAs implementing projects in states should collaborate with the States Planning Commissions/States Ministries of Economic Planning and Budget and relevant States MDAs for effective Monitoring and Evaluation of the projects.