Nigerians have rated the Ministries of Power and Agriculture and Food Security low on the Presidency’s Central Results Delivery Coordination Unit tracker, Sunday Ekwutos reports.

Data obtained by our correspondent from the tracker also revealed that the Ministry of Interior topped the chart, buoyed by multiple five-star reviews applauding improvements in passport and visa issuance.

On April 8, 2024, the Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination and head of the CDCU, Hadiza Bala-Usma, inaugurated the Citizens’ Delivery Tracker.

Bala-Usman said the tracker would provide a “strong feedback loop” between citizens and the government and hold ministers and heads of government agencies accountable based on key deliverables.

“The Citizens Delivery Tracker App…will be constantly modified to enhance ease of use and maintain a strong feedback loop between citizens and their government,” she explained at the Go-Live event of the CDT in Abuja.

According to the latest CDCU data covering the last six months, citizens submitted 217 ratings overall, with an average of 3.1 out of 5 stars across agencies.

“The Ministry of Interior led with an average of 4.3, while the lowest-rated agency, the Nigerian Consumer Credit Corporation, recorded 1.7,” the report read.

Tinubu’s eight priority areas

The deliverables border on the eight priority areas of the Bola Tinubu administration.

The CDT outlined 204 deliverables and 888 indicators to assess government ministries, departments and agencies. The deliverables comprised various government policies, projects and programmes scheduled for completion between 2024 and 2027.

In arriving at the deliverables and key performance indicators, Bala-Usman said the CDCU, supported by development partners and consultants, held numerous bilateral meetings with all the ministers, permanent secretaries, and their respective technical teams for six weeks.

The tracker came months after President Bola Tinubu announced plans for ministerial assessment at the cabinet retreat in November 2023.

At the cabinet retreat for ministers, presidential aides, permanent secretaries and top government functionaries, Tinubu said the CDCU would be strengthened to make citizens an integral part of his government’s monitoring and performance management process.

Direct citizens’ feedback

A summarised breakdown of the feedback availed to Sunday Ekwutos indicated that fertiliser and other inputs did not get to real farmers because of the absence of a proper database.

“I suggest there should be agric extension workers across the 774 LGAs to collate the data and support; that way, genuine farmers will be reached, not paper ones,” Damilola Ogidan, who rated the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security 2 out of 5, said.

Another respondent, Aimufua Emmanuel, in his rating of the Federal Ministry of Power, wrote, “Your excellency, I don’t know what we have done to God to give us a man like the power minister to take charge of the power sector. He’s by far the least performing minister in your cabinet. Ever since the beginning of this administration, our case has been from frying pan to fire. I live in Sangotedo, and since May last year, we have never had four hours of light in a day. At times we go one week without light blinking for a second, it is very obvious the power minister knows nothing about the power sector, listen to him and you’ll be quick to tell he knows nothing about generation, transmission and distribution of power. This man is clueless.’ He rated the Ministry of Power 1 out of 5.”

However, another Nigerian, Nasir Abubakar, rated the Power Ministry 4 out of 5.

He advised that there should be legislation that would compel power distribution companies to supply electricity to consumers and they should be responsible for the repairs and maintenance of their equipment.

The report continued: “One user, Lukman Kazeem, rated CrediCorp one star, commenting, ‘No indication that this agency is performing. No projects in the project list.’ The Delivery Manager for CrediCorp responded to clarify the agency’s status and ongoing initiatives.

“Oluwafemi Olanrewaju gave the Ministry of Interior five stars, commending ‘the improved processing time for visa issuance,” a key deliverable tied to the ministry’s priority.

“Feedback on the Federal Inland Revenue Service ranged from top marks to mid-level scores. Suleiman Umar rated the FIRS five out of five, stating, ‘I support Zach on his revenue reform…all MDA’s generating revenue should use FIRS account such that they don’t touch the revenue. Let’s have a centralised system of revenue collection.’”

“Segun Owolabi rated the FIRS three out of five, citing issues with taxpayer data: ‘The stats of captured taxpayers across Nigeria has not been consistently updated… many low-income earners are being taxed by their employer even when the law stipulates taxable and nontaxable income.”

CrediCorp recorded the lowest rating, averaging only 1.7 stars.

In the same timeframe, Priority 6—covering Health, Education, and Social Investment—achieved the best performance (74 per cent), while Priority 4—concerning Energy and Natural Resources—posted a comparatively lower figure (53 per cent).

During this period, delivery managers maintained an average response time of 3.2 days, with 30 actively engaging citizen feedback and resolving about 76 per cent of submitted issues.

The CDCU noted that the tracker’s 1 to 5 stars rating system was linked to verified performance indicators for each deliverable.

It encouraged citizens to rate and leave contextual feedback, which ministry representatives would address.

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari, to open his defence in the ongoing cocaine trafficking trial instituted by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

Delivering his ruling on Friday, Justice Emeka Nwite dismissed the no-case submissions filed by Kyari and four other officers, stating that the prosecution had successfully established a prima facie case requiring them to respond.

Kyari, who once led the Nigeria Police’s Intelligence Response Team (IRT), was arrested on February 14, 2022, after being declared wanted by the NDLEA for alleged involvement in an international drug trafficking ring.

He is being tried alongside four members of his former team: ACP Sunday J. Ubua, ASP Bawa James, Inspector Simon Agirgba, and Inspector John Nuhu. They face charges of conspiracy to traffic 17.55kg of cocaine and unlawful tampering with an additional 21.35kg, linked to convicted traffickers Chibunna Patrick Umeibe and Emeka Alphonsus Ezenwanne, who were apprehended at Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu.

Though Kyari and his co-defendants pleaded not guilty when arraigned on March 7, 2022, the two traffickers admitted guilt and were sentenced accordingly.

Following the closure of the prosecution’s case, the defence filed applications arguing that the evidence was insufficient to sustain a conviction. However, Justice Nwite rejected this argument.

“Even if the quantity of cocaine was more or less than 17.55kg, it doesn’t negate the presence of prima facie evidence that the first defendant tampered with narcotics,” the judge stated.

He further clarified that the law under which the officers were charged does not distinguish penalties based on quantity, thereby rendering the defence’s argument moot.

“In light of the evidence before the court,” Justice Nwite declared, “a prima facie case has been established against the first defendant on all five counts. He is therefore ordered to enter his defence accordingly.”

The Lagos State Police Command has commenced an investigation into an explosion that occurred at a CCTV dealer’s shop on Kodesho Street, near the popular Computer Village in Ikeja.

In a statement released on Friday, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed that the incident took place at about 6:35 p.m.

According to Hundeyin, operatives from the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Unit, the Mobile Police Detachment, and other police teams quickly moved in, cordoning off the scene to safeguard lives and property.

“The scene of the explosion and adjoining areas were immediately taken over and cordoned off by operatives of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit, the Mobile Police Detachment, and conventional Lagos State Police Command teams,” said Mr. Hundeyin, a chief superintendent of police.

He added that EOD specialists swept the area to neutralize any potential secondary threats and to support an in-depth investigation into the cause of the blast.

Shortly after the incident, the Commissioner of Police, Owohunwa Idowu, visited the site for an immediate assessment.

While assuring the public that the situation had been brought under control, the police urged residents to remain calm.

“People can go about their lawful activities without fear,” the commissioner was quoted as saying.

Preliminary investigations revealed that five people who were in and around the shop at the time of the explosion suffered varying degrees of injuries.

They were promptly taken to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) for medical treatment.

“The Command hereby wishes to assure the general public of its commitment to maintain peace and security throughout the state,” Mr. Hundeyin added.

The police said further updates will be provided as investigations progress.