President Bola Tinubu has issued a directive slashing the retinue for both international and local travel by a substantial 60%, according to presidential spokesperson Ajuri Ngelale. The directive, outlined during a Press Briefing on Tuesday, encompasses the entire federal government, affecting the president, vice-president, first lady, ministers, and agency heads.
Ngelale highlighted the key aspects of the cost-cutting initiative:
1. Reduction in State Entourages:
President Tinubu has mandated a substantial reduction in all state entourages, affecting the president’s office, the vice-president, and all appointees. This directive is not merely a request but a firm order to address government expenditure.
2. Slashing Expenditure on Official Travel:
The president’s directive mandates a 60% reduction in expenditure on official travel. This includes cutting down on allowances and estacode for security details during official visits within the country. State security outfits, such as police, DSS, or military branches, will now take the lead in providing protective detail during state travels.
3. Limits on International Travel:
For international travel, strict limits have been imposed on all ministers. Ministers are allowed to travel with only four members of their staff, appointees, and the like. Heads of agencies are even more restricted, with only two members of staff allowed to accompany them on official trips.
4. Prudence and Efficiency Mandate:
President Tinubu is firm in his stance that the prudence and efficiency of government officials should reflect that of Nigerian citizens. The era of government wastage and excessive recurrent expenditure is declared over, and officials are expected to manage costs prudently.
5. Breakdown of Retinue:
The new directive outlines specific limits on the number of individuals allowed during foreign and domestic trips. For foreign trips, the president is entitled to twenty persons, the vice-president and first lady five each, ministers four, and agency CEOs two. For domestic travel, the president moves with twenty-five persons, the vice-president with fifteen, and the first lady with ten.
6. Security Measures:
State security personnel are directed to ensure the security of the President and other top government officials during trips within their states of duty.
This directive follows scrutiny faced by the federal government regarding the expenditure of N2.7 billion on sponsoring 1,411 delegates to the 28th United Nations annual climate change conference (COP28) held in Dubai a month ago.
- Tags: government, Tinubu
