VANGUARD
…as the President’s cut of the cost of governance puts govs, NASS leadership under pressure
By Dickson Omobola
Last week’s announcement of the reduction in the number of officials travelling with President Bola Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, First Lady Remi Tinubu, Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, by 60 per cent, whether local or international, is good music in the ears of many Civil Society Organisations, CSOs, who have rooted for a reduction in the cost of governance.
The Tinubu directive has been greeted by applause by many Nigerians, including Mr Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 elections, who believe it is a step in the right direction as it will free funds, no matter how small, for development and allow more dividends of democracy for Nigerians.
CSOs in the vanguard of the reduction in the cost of governance, which, they say, is bloated, agree but say the Tinubu administration can shed more weight, saying the President’s action is insignificant compared to what recurrent expenditure is currently consuming in the national budget.
They noted that what the President had done was a ‘masterstroke’ but the government should go the whole hog in addressing wastage in the system to beef up capital expenditure.
Meanwhile, the development is putting state governors and the leadership of the National Assembly under pressure as they are being asked to toe Tinubu’s line.
Governors and the National Assembly leadership have been accused of appointing too many political aides in a manner that raises recurrent expenditure to the detriment of capital expenditure and the provision of democracy dividends for Nigerians.
The CSOs, comprising groups that have been clamouring for a lean size of governance, identified areas Tinubu should immediately act on to avoid leakages and wastages.
Leakages
They include reduction in the presidential fleet, budgetary allocation for entertainment and sundries, number of MDAs, recurrent expenditure, security votes and implementation of the Oronsanye Report.
In a move to reduce cost of governance, Tinubu had, last week, slashed the number of officials who will accompany him and other top government officials on foreign and local trips.
He directed that all the entourage to state and international events be drastically reduced by 60 per cent.
According to the directive, the President will now travel with only 20 officials unlike before when the number was over 50 people while the Vice President will now travel with five officials, the First Lady and the wife of the Vice President also five officials respectively.
State House operations
For local trips, the number of the entourage of the President has been reduced to 25, the Vice President 15, the First Lady and the wife of the Vice 10.
Criticism had recently greeted the 1, 411 delegates Nigeria sent to the Conference of the Parties, COP28, climate summit held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, UAE, at a time of austerity when the Federal Government was urging the citizenry to make more sacrifices.
However, Sunday Vanguard was told that unless measures, beyond what the President has done, are taken, the cost of running government will continue to drain the nation’s poor finances.
In the 2024 budget, N87.7 trillion was earmarked for non-debt recurrent expenditure, representing about the 43 per cent of the total N28.7 trillion budget.
In this fiscal year, the President and his deputy are expected to spend N8 billion on local and international trips.
Specifically, Tinubu is earmarked to spend N7,630,593,192 for “travel and transport”.
Of the figure, N638.5 million will be spent on local travel and transport, while international trips will gulp N6.9 billion.
Also, State House operation for the Vice-President was allotted N1, 847, 726, 023 for local and foreign trips.
The number two man (Shettima) will spend N618.3 million on local trips, while N1.2 billion will be expended on international travel.
In the same budget, the Senate was allocated N49.14bn while the lower chamber, made up of 360 members, got a total allocation of N78.62bn.
Further findings by Sunday Vanguard show that the federal and state governments have earmarked about N17.04 trillion for recurrent expenditure this year.
According to Data Services and Resources, the 36 states of the federation have a combined annual budget of N16.15 trillion, of which recurrent expenditure will gulp N8.77 trillion.
It is given this that several stakeholders in the CSOs argued that Tinubu’s directive on the size of governance isn’t enough.
They noted that such a move shouldn’t stop at the Presidency, saying governors and agencies of government should follow suit.
Wastage at all levels
National Coordinator, Activist for Good Governance, Mr Declan Ihekaire, said: “The governors are at liberty to do so. However, for me, the cost of governance has resulted in wastage on all levels of leadership – the local, state, federal, legislative and even the judiciary.
“Beyond reducing the entourage, there are so many idle hands on the payrolls of all strata of government. There are so many duplicated parastatals, agencies and ministries.
“Until it becomes visible that the President has reduced his entourage, we are still at level zero when it comes to reducing the cost of governance.
“For instance, what’s the essence of flying first class or using the presidential aircraft at all times? It is a total waste.
“The sincerity of this government in bettering the lives of Nigerians would only be meaningful when the fuel pump price reduces drastically and the electricity supply is stable.
“Mr President should show the Nigerian people that he is a civilian President who understands his people.
“He has to go beyond the political rhetoric used by politicians. One thing I must emphasise is that the President and governors should know that the voice of the oppressed would always be louder in the face of misgovernance.”
Reforms
On his part, the National President of Campaign for Democracy, Mr Olufemi Lawson, told Sunday Vanguard: “It is a necessary step taken in the right direction. “It can be counted as one of the many reforms that Nigerians are expecting from the administration of President Bola Tinubu. “The economic reality in the country doesn’t support such culture of over-bloated government spending that is of less importance to the advancement of the interest of ordinary Nigerians”.
Pension laws
Also speaking, Deputy Director of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, Mr Kolawole Oluwadare, said: “It is a step in the right direction, but it is still a long way from what Nigerians have been asking for in cutting the cost of governance.
“At best, it would probably reduce the recurrent expenditure to a certain level. It does not reduce security votes, it does not reduce pensions allocated to former governors, it doesn’t reduce some of the frivolous costs of running The Presidency and the National Assembly.
“We can say that he is trying to set a good example, but it is not enough. There are a few other things the President needs to do to demonstrate his willingness to cut the cost of governance.
“Whatever he does must also be done at the state level, including repealing pension laws that allow former governors and their former deputies to earn millions of naira.
“They are all-encompassing and it should reflect in the government’s expenditure.
“For instance, if you look at the 2024 budget, there are various things that need not be there. “Some of the money allocated to certain areas can be put to better use for the benefit of Nigerians.”
Oronsanye Report
Also speaking, the Executive Director of Civil Society Advocacy Centre, CISLAC, Auwal Ibrahim Musa, urged the President to look beyond travel expenditures.
Musa said: “It is commendable but represents just the tip of the iceberg. The President must look beyond travel expenditures and cut costs in the numerous areas where wastages and other forms of financial profligacy thrive.
“Why is there a budget line for the office of the First Lady, which is not a constitutional office? It is surprising that at a time when the country is faced with its worst economic challenges and supposed paucity of funds, the government finds it necessary to maintain the office of the First Lady.
“The office can run successfully without a government budget if the First Lady and her team strategize towards alternative funding for pet projects.
“To substantially reduce the cost of governance in Nigeria, which unfortunately happens to be one of the highest around the world, the President must indeed look beyond ensuring prudency in travel expenses to trimming the size of his cabinet.
“It is no news that this administration possesses one of the largest cabinets in the history of the country.
“This negates the recommendations of the Steve Oronsaye Committee which calls for the scrapping and merger of government agencies and parastatals.
“Let us not forget in a hurry that the same administration, which is posing to be cutting cost of governance through a mere reduction of travel entourage, allocated almost N60 billion to provide vehicles for legislators in the most critical economic times for the country when citizens are expected to endure hardship.
“Government at all levels must prioritise reduction in the cost of governance especially in facing the economic reality of the day.
“This will contribute to entrenching responsible spending rather than relying on borrowing to fund profligacy.”
Also sharing his views, the Executive Director of Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, CACOL, Mr Debo Adeniran, stated: “Everybody in government should follow suit, including the legislature and judiciary.
“This is a period of austerity in which we cannot afford to be flamboyant and reckless in our spending. It is a step in the right direction.
“All governors and commissioners should do the same.
“However, I must say that it may not have so much impact on the cost of governance because there are so many things that should be cut off.
“They need to reduce the cost of their convenience; they need to learn how to use facilities and equipment that are serviceable without buying new ones.
“For instance, they do not necessarily have to buy new cars, computers and furniture. They also do not need to rebuild an existing building if it’s still in good condition.
“This is a period of belt-tightening and, for that reason, they should make do with all available things. The good thing is so much is available that can be used.
“They do not need to build another house for the President and legislators. I would advocate for a unicameral legislature because nothing much is being done by both houses of the legislature.”
