Tinubu orders massive cut in official travel delegations

By Egena Sunday Ode

President Bola Tinubu has ordered a drastic downward adjustment to the number of delegation for official travels.
This move is aimed at reducing the huge cost incurred by government through official travels by the president, vice president, ministers, Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs).
In the new guidelines, President Tinubu has given specific number of persons that will now make up the delegations in both local and international trips involving him, Vice President Kashim Shettima, ministers and heads of MDAs.
According to him, his international delegation has been pegged at 20 individuals only, while that of the vice president is now just five.
For local official trips, Tinubu has limited the number in his delegation to 25 while that of his vice is put at 15 persons.
The president has also approved that there will be no more huge security delegations accompanying him from Abuja to parts of the country as they usually attract huge Duty Tour Allowances (DTA).
He said, henceforth, security on ground in the various states will be used.
The First Lady, by the new directives, can only now have five persons in her official travel abroad while she is allowed to have 10 persons for local travels.
Ministers and heads of MDAs will have no more than four and two persons, respectively, in their delegations for foreign trips.
The wife of the vice president is also to have 10 persons at the most in her delegation for local travels.
According to presidential spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, who announced this on Tuesday, the president directive is expected to slash expenditure on official travels by 60 percent.
Ajuri warned that any officials who flouts the new directive will be doing so at their peril.