The Minister of Communications, Dr Isa Pantami, has set targets for Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of parastatals and agencies supervised by the ministry.

A statement signed by Mrs. Phil Oshodin, Head, Information and Public Relation Unit, said on Sunday in Abuja that the minister had urged the CEOs to significantly improve the level of their performance to reflect the `next level’ paradigm of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

It said that Pantami set the targets after extensive meetings with, and briefings by the various CEOs which spanned through a whole week.

It quoted him as assuring the CEOs of the ministry’s support to enable them excel, while reminding them of his readiness to sanction those who performed below expectation.

Specifically, Pantami called on the agencies to significantly improve their level of visibility across the country and to ensure great improvement in the quality of services.

The statement quoted Pantami as specifically requesting GalaxyBackbone (GBB), to improve the reach and coverage of its services in the public sector, and to significantly improve the quality of services provided.

Pantami also urged the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC), to end the sales of registered, unregistered and partially-registered SIM cards, so as to help security agencies to tackle security challenges in the country.

“I also want NCC to stem the tide of illegal deductions on the data of subscribers and work toward the downward review of the cost of data”.

“It should also ensure compliance with the maximum two per cent Call Drop Rate directive to telecom operators”.

“NCC must also ensure an appreciable improvement in the efficiency of its letter and parcel delivery service and increase its coverage in the country,” the statement quoted Pantami as saying.

It also quoted the minister as urging National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), to have a greater level of focus on increasing local content development and patronage in the hardware and software sub-sectors.

NITDA was also directed to strengthen the execution of its IT project clearance mandate to capture more projects by the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

It was also directed to ensure the promotion and adoption of the Nigeria e-Government Inter-operability Framework (Ne-GIF), by the MDAs.

The minister called on the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF), to ensure that there was a sustainability model in place for all the projects deployed so as to prepare a plan to reduce the access gaps in the rural, unserved and underserved areas.

Pantami emphasised the ministry’s role of supervision and provision of broad policies for all parastatals, and informed the CEOs that their performance would be assessed on a monthly basis.

He asked them to be passionate, hardworking and ensure that they exhibited high level of integrity in the discharge of their duties.

He urged them to follow due process in their activities as championed by the President, and also directed them to communicate these values and targets to their staff.

Pantami encouraged synergy, unity and the forging of a harmonious inter-agency relationship among the parastatals, and reaffirmed commitment to ensuring that no obstacle was allowed to inhibit their success. (NAN)