P
PressRoom
Guest
Tributes, eulogies have continued to pour in for the demise of the first Director General (DG) of the National Agency for Control of AIDS (NACA), former Minister of Health and Executive Director of United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Prof. Babatunde Osotimehin, who died Monday morning in New York, United States.
Osotimehin, 68, was a former Provost of the College of Medicine at the University of Ibadan, and former Minister of Health – appointed by Late President Umaru Musa Yaradua.
Osotimehin was among the 16 ministerial helmsmen sworn in by late President Yaradua.
Then, Yaradua, admonished Osotimehin, and other ministers to see their appointments a sacred call to national service and not an opportunity for self -aggrandizement or the pursuit of narrow, selfish interests.
He said: "The task of nation building and national transformation calls for honesty of purpose, sincerity, consummate diligence, and unmediated commitment to the national cause. The people of this nation demand no less from each and every one of us. Our every act must be guided by the highest standards of integrity and the fear of God.
"I must reiterate our Administration's total abhorrence of corruption in all its ramifications and our insistence on absolute compliance with established rules, regulations and procedures in the conduct of all government business. Any proven case of corrupt practices or non-conformity with the rule of law and constitutionality will be visited with the strictest sanctions."
He added: "In this period of stark economic realities at home and unprecedented global economic challenges, we all must begin to think out of the box, recommit to the ideal of prudent and judicious application of resources, and stay faithful to the principles of value for money, transparency, accountability, and the rule of law.
"As you honestly and diligently discharge your respective duties as Honourable ministers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, you can be assured of my full confidence, unstinting support, and guidance at all times. In the days ahead, you shall be fully acquainted with the detailed mandate which each of you will be expected to meet as dictated by your portfolio. Ultimately, I expect that this Council will function as a compact, effective, efficient, and focused team of patriots committed to the repositioning and transformation of our nation."
Osotimehin, 68, was a former Provost of the College of Medicine at the University of Ibadan, and former Minister of Health – appointed by Late President Umaru Musa Yaradua.
Osotimehin was among the 16 ministerial helmsmen sworn in by late President Yaradua.
Then, Yaradua, admonished Osotimehin, and other ministers to see their appointments a sacred call to national service and not an opportunity for self -aggrandizement or the pursuit of narrow, selfish interests.
He said: "The task of nation building and national transformation calls for honesty of purpose, sincerity, consummate diligence, and unmediated commitment to the national cause. The people of this nation demand no less from each and every one of us. Our every act must be guided by the highest standards of integrity and the fear of God.
"I must reiterate our Administration's total abhorrence of corruption in all its ramifications and our insistence on absolute compliance with established rules, regulations and procedures in the conduct of all government business. Any proven case of corrupt practices or non-conformity with the rule of law and constitutionality will be visited with the strictest sanctions."
He added: "In this period of stark economic realities at home and unprecedented global economic challenges, we all must begin to think out of the box, recommit to the ideal of prudent and judicious application of resources, and stay faithful to the principles of value for money, transparency, accountability, and the rule of law.
"As you honestly and diligently discharge your respective duties as Honourable ministers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, you can be assured of my full confidence, unstinting support, and guidance at all times. In the days ahead, you shall be fully acquainted with the detailed mandate which each of you will be expected to meet as dictated by your portfolio. Ultimately, I expect that this Council will function as a compact, effective, efficient, and focused team of patriots committed to the repositioning and transformation of our nation."
