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From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
In a major cost-cutting measure, President Bola Tinubu, yesterday, approved a slash in the size of official delegations for foreign and domestic trips by up to 60 percent with immediate effect.
Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, made the disclosure to State House at the Presidential Villa, yesterday.
This is coming a month after the controversy that trailed the Federal Government’s spending of at least N2.7 billion to sponsor delegates that attended the United Nations’ annual climate summit, COP28, in Dubai. Nigeria’s delegation was 1,411.
According to the directive, For trips within the country, the president shall have an entourage of not more than 25 officials.
When on foreign trips, the number of accompanying officials shall not be more than 20 persons.
The vice-president shall have not more than five officials accompanying him on foreign trips and not more than 15 officials for local trips.
The First Lady and the wife of the vice-president shall also not have more than five officials on their entourage when travelling outside the country.
The two wives shall have a maximum of 10 accompanying officials each when they travel within the country.
Ministers shall have only four accompanying officials when travelling, while heads of agencies shall have two.
Ngelale said the decision aimed at reducing massive bills accruing from official trips of principal officers of government.
He added that security outfits within states shall be the security masterminds for visiting officials.
“The reduction in the size of entourages will bring total sanity and prudence to the management of the commonwealth of our people.
“The president is insistent that the notion of government wastage, excessive recurrent expenditure is over,’’ he said
Ngelale added that officials would no longer be allowed to conduct government affairs in a way different from what the latter was asking Nigerians to do by way of prudence and cost management.
