News

Tinubu Reduces Entourage On Foreign Trips To 20 Officials

Published

1 year ago

January 9, 2024

President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday approved “cost-cutting” measures that involve slashing, by 60%, official entourage on local and international travels.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, revealed this while briefing State House correspondents at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Tuesday.

Ngelale said the directive applied to the Offices of the President, Vice President, First Lady, Wife of the Vice President and all Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

He said, “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.”

This decision came five weeks after Nigerians criticised the Tinubu administration for participating in the United Nation’s annual climate summit, COP28, in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates with 1,114 delegates.

Although the Presidency said it sponsored only 422 delegates, reports say it spent N2.78bn on airfares and estacodes.

In their first seven months in office, Tinubu and Shettima visited 16 countries, collectively spending 91 days in foreign engagements, The PUNCH observed.

Checks revealed that Tinubu has so far visited Paris, France (twice); London, the United Kingdom; Bissau, Guinea-Bissau (twice); Nairobi, Kenya; Porto Norvo, Benin Republic; New Delhi, India; Abu Dhabi and Dubai, the United Arab Emirates; New York, the United States of America, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and Berlin, German, spending 55 days.

Meanwhile, VP Shettima represented him in Italy, Russia, South Africa, Cuba, China and the US, logging 36 days abroad in 2023.

While the Presidency defended these trips as vital for attracting foreign direct investment into Nigeria, critics question the economic impact, particularly the size of the entourage.

But the President’s spokesperson told journalists that Tinubu is “determined to bring total sanity and prudence to the management of the commonwealth of our people.

“Henceforth, the President is insistent that the notion of government wastage and the notion that government officials will be allowed to conduct their affairs in a way that is different from what we are asking of Nigerian citizens with respect to prudence and cost management, those days are over.

“The President is insistent that the prudence of government officials must reflect the prudence of the Nigerian citizens.”

Revealing more details about the directive, Ngelale said, “The President has approved a new limit of 25 staff members to accompany him on domestic trips.

“The Office of the First Lady is now limited to 10 staff members to accompany her on official trips within the country.

“The Vice President will be limited to 15 members of staff on official trips within the country, while his wife will be limited to 10 members of staff on officials within the country.”

On the issue of the President travelling with an army of security personnel across states, Ngelale said henceforth, “the security outfits within states, be it police, the DSS or branches of the military, will frontline his protective detail when he travels to those states.” This also applies to the Office of the VP, the First Lady, and the VP’s wife.

He explained that the number of persons allowed to accompany each officer on international trips is less than those allowed on domestic trips because “international trips are far more expensive across the board.”

For the MDAs, Ngelale said ministers are now limited to four persons for foreign trips, while agency heads can only travel with two persons.

“By this directive, every minister will be limited to having not more than four staff members 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,” he explained.

Asked what sanctions await those who defy this directive, the presidential aide replied, “I believe we do not need to convince the officers of the Federal Government of Nigeria of the seriousness of the President with respect to how he will implement his directives.

“If there is anybody who feels that the directive of the President is not binding on them, who feels that the President will not uphold this directive in implementation and seeks to test it, they will do so at their peril.”

News

Open Letter To The Speaker, Parliament Of The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide

Published

26 minutes ago

June 14, 2025

Editor

The writer, Mr Godswill Doubra Wuruyai (Right) andHon. Gabriel Allen Tomoni

Date: 14th June 2025

To:
Rt. Hon. Gabriel Allen Tomoni
Speaker,
Parliament of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide

Dear Mr Speaker,

RE: THE STATUS OF OPTION A4 AS VOTING MECHANISM AND MATTERS ARISING

I bring you warm greetings of solidarity and unwavering commitment to the Ijaw struggle.

It has become necessary to issue this Open Letter in response to your recent communication dated 13th June 2025, titled “Clarification on Applicable Constitution Guiding Electoral Activities in Lagos Chapter”, and to set the record straight regarding the status of the Option A4 voting mechanism as duly adopted by the Convention of Ijaw Youths at the Odi Constitution Convention 2024.

Permit me to respectfully state from the outset that the matter of Option A4 is neither open to debate nor subject to discretionary legislative ratification by Parliament, the NEC, or any Zonal or Chapter organ of Council. It is a constitutional matter, having been overwhelmingly adopted at the Odi Constitution Convention 2024—the supreme legislative convention of the Ijaw Youth Council, which carries the highest constitutional authority within our organisation.

The Convention is the apex legislative authority on matters of constitutional amendment and review. By both precedent and constitutional logic, once a Constitutional Convention concludes with the majority adoption of any provision, it becomes valid and binding immediately upon adoption by Congress—the highest sovereign body of the Ijaw Youth Council. The notion of “presidential assent” is ceremonial in nature; it does not possess the force to invalidate or delay the decisions of Congress. Signing ceremonies remain symbolic, not constitutive, in effect.

It is, therefore, anomalous and potentially unconstitutional for Parliament, or any of its officers, to purport to subject the decision of Congress to further parliamentary debate, rectification, or ratification. This represents not only a fundamental misreading of the IYC’s constitutional architecture but also a dangerous precedent that could undermine the very foundation of our collective legitimacy.

Furthermore, no Zonal structure, Chapter, or stakeholders’ forum possesses the jurisdiction to review, reject, or suspend a decision reached by a duly convened Constitutional Convention. The only valid forum that can revisit the matter of Option A4—or any other constitutional provision—is another Constitutional Convention convened specifically for that purpose.

The role of Parliament as a stabilising institution within the IYC structure is to promote order, not to precipitate constitutional crises by attempting to override the sovereign will of Congress. Should Parliament insist on such actions, it risks dragging the IYC into an avoidable constitutional conflict that could jeopardise the unity of our noble Council.

The Lagos Chapter, like all other organs of Council, is bound by the supreme decisions of the Constitutional Convention and must conduct its electoral processes in strict adherence to Option A4, as adopted.

Accordingly, I call on you, as Speaker of Parliament, to respect and uphold the supremacy of Congress and its resolutions. Anything short of that amounts to an attempt to overturn the will of the Ijaw people through administrative fiat, which must be firmly resisted by all well-meaning Ijaw youths.

Let me conclude by reminding all concerned that we must not allow petty personal interests or ego-driven conflicts to derail the hard-earned democratic processes within our Council. This is not a time for power tussles, but a time for unity, maturity, and constitutional discipline.

I trust that you will act in accordance with the Constitution and in the enduring interest of the Ijaw nation.

Yours in service of the Ijaw struggle,

Mr Godswill Doubra Wuruyai
Stakeholder/Member
Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide

Cc:
Comr. Williams Ayoromiegha Junior, Clerk of Parliament
All Members of Parliament, IYC Worldwide
The President, Ijaw Youth Council Worldwide
NEC Members, Ijaw Youth Council Worldwide
All Zonal and Chapter Chairpersons, IYC
Ijaw Youth Stakeholders Nationwide

News

Reps To Quiz Edun, Cardoso Over Non-compliance With Fiscal Responsibility Act

Published

2 hours ago

June 14, 2025

Editor

The Joint House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts and Public Assets has invited the Minister of Finance, Mr Olawale Edun, and the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Dr Olayemi Cardoso, to appear before it on Monday over allegations bothering on non-compliance with the provisions of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007.

The duo are also expected to respond to the 2021 audit queries relating to internal control weaknesses identified by the Office of the Auditor General for the Federation (oAuGF).

In a letter jointly signed by the Chairmen of the House Committee on Public Accounts, Rep. Bamidele Salam, and the Committee on Public Assets, Rep. Ademorin Kuye, the lawmakers requested the Finance Minister and the CBN Governor to provide details on the remittance of operating surplus to the Federation Account by the apex bank in line with the provisions of relevant laws and regulations.

The Fiscal Responsibility Commission and the Auditor General for the Federation had, in reports submitted to the joint committees, accused several Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), including the CBN, of failing to remit or under-remitting their operating surpluses as required by extant financial laws and regulations over the last six years.

According to the Public Accounts Committee Chairman, “these violations have negatively impacted the liquidity of the federal government and constitute a hindrance to effective implementation of the budgets passed by parliament.”

The committees stated that both the Finance Ministry and the apex bank had been given ample opportunity to reconcile their accounts and present their positions in order to determine the degree of financial liabilities involved, hence the need for a final hearing to resolve the issues.

The committee is equally reviewing a report in the Auditor General for the Federation’s statutory report which suggests that a number of public assets, which had been fully paid for, have not been completed or put into use for many years.

“Some of these projects in Dutse, Abeokuta and other locations were awarded between 2011 and 2016 but yet to be completed according to audit reports.”

News

Again, NiMet Predicts Three-day Thunderstorms, Rain From Saturday

Published

2 hours ago

June 14, 2025

Editor

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency has predicted thundery and rainy weather activities from Saturday to Monday across Nigeria.

NiMet’s weather outlook released on Friday in Abuja envisaged early morning thunderstorms on Saturday over parts of Taraba, Kebbi, Zamfara, Kaduna, and Adamawa states in the northern region.

According to it, thunderstorms with rains are anticipated over parts of Kebbi, Taraba, Zamfara, Borno, Kaduna, Sokoto, Gombe, and Bauchi states later in the day.

“In the North-Central region, early morning thunderstorms are expected over parts of Benue, Plateau, Niger, the Federal Capital Territory, and Nasarawa States.

“Later in the day, thunderstorms with rains are anticipated over parts of the Federal Capital Territory, Niger, Nasarawa, Benue, Kwara, Kogi, and Plateau states.

“In the Southern region, cloudy atmosphere is expected with chances of morning rains over parts of Enugu, Ebonyi, Cross River, Lagos, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, and Bayelsa States,” it said.

NiMet predicted isolated thunderstorms with rains over parts of Imo, Enugu, Abia, Ebonyi, Anambra, Ondo, Oyo, Osun, Ogun, Ekiti, Edo, Delta, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, and Rivers State later in the day.

The agency anticipated prospects of morning thunderstorms on Sunday over parts of Kaduna, Kebbi, Adamawa, and Taraba States in the northern region.

It envisaged thunderstorms with rain over parts of Taraba, Adamawa, Kebbi, Kaduna, Zamfara, Gombe, and Bauchi States later in the day.

NiMet anticipated patches of clouds with sunshine intervals with prospects of early morning thunderstorms likely to affect parts of Kogi, Kwara, Plateau, Niger, Nasarawa, Benue, and the Federal Capital Territory in the North-Central region.

“Later in the day, thunderstorms with rains are anticipated over parts of the Federal Capital Territory, Niger, Nasarawa, Kwara, Kogi, Benue, and Plateau states.

“In the Southern region, morning thunderstorms are expected over parts of Delta, Lagos, Rivers, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River States.

“Later in the day, isolated thunderstorms with rains are anticipated over most parts of Imo, Enugu, Abia, Ebonyi, Anambra, Ondo, Oyo, Ogun, Ekiti, Edo, Lagos, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Delta, Bayelsa, and Rivers State,” it said.

The agency envisaged morning thunderstorms over parts of Kebbi, Zamfara, Kaduna, Adamawa, and Taraba States in the Northern region on Monday.

NiMet predicted thunderstorms with rains over parts of Taraba, Adamawa, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Zamfara, Gombe, Kaduna, and Bauchi States later in the day.

In the North-Central region, the agency forecast patches of clouds with sunshine intervals are expected with prospects of thunderstorms with rains over parts of the Federal Capital Territory, Nasarawa, Benue, Kogi, and Niger States.

According to NiMet, thunderstorms are expected over parts of Kwara, Plateau, Nasarawa, Niger, Benue, and Kogi States in the afternoon or evening hours.

“In the Southern region, cloudy atmosphere is expected with chances of
morning rains over parts of Ogun, Edo, Ondo, Ogun, Delta, and Bayelsa States.

“Later in the day, isolated thunderstorms with rains are anticipated over most parts of the region,” it said.

According to it, the public should take adequate precaution as strong winds may precede the rains in areas where thunderstorms are likely to occur.

NiMet urged the public to ensure that loose objects are fastened to avoid collision and avoid driving under heavy rain.

“Disconnect electrical appliances from electrical sockets. Stay away from tall trees to avoid impact from falling branches and broken trees.

“Airline operators are advised to get airport-specific weather reports (flight documentation) from NiMet for effective planning in their operations.

“Residents are advised to stay informed through weather updates from NiMet. Visit our website, www.nimet.gov.ng,” it said.

NAN