FINANCE Minister Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala spoke yesterday on her priority.

“Let me say that the thrust of what the President wants for now is the creation of jobs. So, everything that we do in terms of pushing forward has to be geared around how we can have a true job growth in the economy.

“So, we are going to be working on that. Those micro economic structures, reforms and investments in key sectors that need to be done in order that we create jobs for our youths, will be the critical thrust, but we can expand on that later,” she said.

On the debt profile, Mrs Okonjo-Iweala said government would be taking a critical look at the “fiscal issues in the country studying possibilities of fiscal consolidation and that includes looking at our debt level”.

She added: “As you know, I am somebody who believes that we should have a prudent approach to our debt. But, we will be able to tell you more later when we have started the process of looking at the budget.”

On the banking reforms, she said: “there is no reform package by the CBN and no reform package by the Ministry of Finance. There is a reform package for Nigeria, which is being led by President Goodluck Jonathan. We are here to make sure that his priorities are met.

“CBN is dealing with monetary, currencies and exchange rates policies and the finance sector is fiscal policy. The two have to come together in order to make a whole. So, there is no division,” she said.

Taking over at the ministry, Okonjo-Iweala said the government’s expectations from the ministry is “efficiency, effectiveness and delivery”.

She said the Ministry of Finance “is critical to the implementation of the job creation agenda of government”.

She warned the staff that she is a very demanding person who is not afraid to do what is expected of her.

Mrs Okonjo-Iweala dismissed any claims to a magic wand in solving the country’s economic problems. She told the permanent secretary, directors and heads of parastatals that the execution of the government’s policies would be based on hard work and attention to the three laid down criteria of efficiency, effectiveness and delivery. The ministry, she said, should set the example.

“Nobody is too big to serve his or her country,” she said, adding that her decision to serve is because she loves the country with a passion.

Nigeria, the minister said, can do better than it is doing now, if all those saddled with implementing the policies play together as a team.

She was received by the Minister of State for Finance, Alhaji Yerima Lawan Ngama.