- * 'It's a Mere Presidential Smockscreen To Deceive Nigerians', Says Odumbaku, a Financial Economist
By Janet Bassey (Governance Reporter, in Abuja)
Compelled by evident realities in the Nigeria's economy currently gasping for breath in the face of humongous corruption, galloping inflation, bad administrative planning and hip-pocket mismanagement, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Tuesday, embarked on desperate measure to curtail further slide of the situation for the worse.
Tinubu responded to the public outcry against the huge public funds being expended by his seven months administration on foreign and local travels for himself, his vice (Shettima), his wife (Oluremi) and for other presidency and government officials in the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), etc. The president has reduced all trip expenditures by 60% to save funds for governance.
This was disclosed by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Chief Ajuri Ngelale, during a briefing of State House correspondents in Abuja on Tuesday. He added that the cut was a cost-cutting measure by the Tinubu administration.
Ngelale said this: “President Bola Tinubu has approved that anywhere he travels within this country he will no longer accept or allow huge security delegations to be following him from Abuja, which attracts massive bills with respect to estacode and duty allowances from now on.
“He has approved a massive cost-cutting exercise that will cut across the entire Federal Government of Nigeria and the Offices of the President himself, the Vice President and the Office of the First Lady. It will be conducted in the following fashion.
“On international trips, the president has directed that no more than 20 individuals be allowed to travel with him. That number will be cut down to five in the case of the First Lady. Additionally, the number in the entourage on official international trips for the Vice President will be cut to five. The number that will be placed as a limit on the wife of the Vice President is also five.
“In terms of local trips, the President has approved a new limit of 25 members of staff to accompany him on domestic trips. within the country.”
He added: “By this directive, every minister will be limited to having not more than four members of staff going with them to any event anywhere in the world. In the case of CEOs of agencies, they will be limited to two staff going with them to anywhere in the world.”
Major highlight reads:
FOREIGN TRIPS : President – 20 persons Vice President -5 persons First Lady -5 persons LOCAL TRIPS: President – 25 persons. Vice President- 15 persons. •First lady -10 persons.
However, an Abuja based Monetary Economist, Dr Temilade Odunmbakun, has dismissed Tinubu's action as a mere official smokescreen designed to hoodwink Nigerians' into believing that the government want to be prudent with the nation's finances.
Dr Odunmbakun said: "I don't trust this president that his government has the will and the ability to show prudence. First and foremost, it is a good policy measure. But what is the rationale behind Mr President allocating 20 person entourage team to himself and just 5 member travel team to his vice (Senator Kashmir Shettima)? We are talking about the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria whose office, like that of the President, is statutory?
"Why should even the First Lady, the President's wife (Senator Oluremi Tinubu) whose office is not recognised by the constitution of Nigeria be allocated the same number of foreign tour team as the vice president of the Federal Republic?. This is officially wrong!
"So, the problem l see with this policy is that there won't be honesty of purpose in keeping with this measure. It is the usual propaganda stunt designed to deceive the people. If the president or his wife is travelling with more number of persons than stated, how will Nigerians' know and who will count the number and who will squeal to the people? They certainly will violate the rule and nothing will happen. We must understand that Mr President is under public pressure. He's merely playing politics. He wants to garner positive public image and confidence for himself and his government. Mr President has no history of being a prudent person. The 2024 budget of this government is a clear example of profligacy and lack of prudence. That is where Tinubu ought to have started his cost-cutting measures.
"More importantly, the problem here is in not keeping with the law. The government does not keep the laws it has made, and it's action does not encourage the citizens of the country to obey the law of the land. You don't do things anyhow and expect order and sanity. The constitution does not provide for the office of the First Lady yet that unelected position is bring equated with that of the Vice President. If we are serious, we must do what is right and lawful". NNL.
