On Tuesday, President Bola Tinubu authorized “cost-cutting” measures that include a 60% reduction in the official entourage for both domestic and international travel.
This was disclosed on Tuesday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja during a briefing by Ajuri Ngelale, the Special Advisor to the President on Media and Publicity.
According to Ngelale, all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies as well as the offices of the President, Vice President, First Lady, and Vice President’s wife were covered by the instruction.
“Anywhere he travels within this country, President Bola Tinubu has approved that 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 going forward,” the speaker stated.
“He has given his approval to a massive cost-cutting initiative that will affect not only the Office of the First Lady, the Vice President, and the entire Federal Government of Nigeria.” The way it will be done is as follows.
“The President has ordered that no more than 20 people be permitted to travel with him on foreign travels. With the First Lady, that number will be reduced to five. In addition, the Vice President’s entourage on official foreign travels will henceforth consist of just five people. The vice president’s wife will likewise be subject to a five-figure cap.
The President has authorized a new cap of 25 employees to go with him on domestic adventures inside the nation.
Ngelale pointed out that the First Lady’s Office and the Vice President’s Wife’s Office are currently only allowed to send ten employees on national travel for official business.
Only fifteen staff members may accompany the vice president on official domestic travels.
Ministers can now only bring four people on international travels, while heads of agencies can only bring two, according to the presidential spokesman.
“By this directive, every minister will be limited to having no more than four staff members accompany them to any event anywhere in the world,” Ngelale continued. CEOs of agencies will only be allowed to bring two employees with them wherever they go in the world.
The development on Tuesday occurred four weeks after the Tinubu government faced severe criticism for traveling to the COP28 Climate Change Summit in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, with a sizable entourage.
Details soon…
