President Bola Tinubu has banned ministers, heads of businesses, and different authorities officers from embarking on public funded foreign trips.
The ban will final for three months within the first occasion and can take impact on April 1, 2024.
This was contained in a letter dated March 12, 2024, and signed by the Chief of Staff to the president, Femi Gbajabiamila; and addressed to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume.
In January, Tinubu issued an order to cut back the variety of individuals accompanying him on each native and foreign trips, noting that his delegation members mustn’t exceed 25 for native travels and 20 for worldwide journey
He additionally mandated that safety brokers at his vacation spot ought to present his safety as an alternative of being accompanied by many safety personnel from Abuja.
This got here following the backlash he confronted throughout and after the final twenty-eighth Conference of Parties (COP28) within the United Arab Emirates, which about 590 Nigerian officers attended.
Responding to the general public outburst, the federal government stated it offered funding for solely 422 out of the 590 people within the delegation.
The letter indicating the ban learn partly, “Mr President has issues in regards to the rising value of journey bills borne by Ministries, Department and Agencies of Government in addition to the rising want for cupboard members and heads of MDAs to focus on their respective mandates for efficient service supply.
“Considering the current economic challenges and the need for responsible fiscal management, I am writing to communicate Mr Presideni’s directive to place a temporary ban on all public funded international trips for all Federal Government officials at all levels, for an initial period of three months from Ist April 2024.”
The ban, based on the letter, was aimed toward lowering prices in governance.
It added, “This temporary measure is aimed at cost reduction in governance and intended as a cost-saving measure without compromising government functions.”
Tinubu added that authorities officers who intend to go on any public funded foreign journey should search and get presidential approval at the least two weeks earlier than embarking on any such journey, which should be ‘deemed absolutely necessary’.
It added, “All government officials who intend to go on any public funded international trips must seek and obtain Presidential approval at least two weeks prior to embarking on any such trip, which must be deemed absolutely necessary.”
