President Bola Tinubu has placed a temporary ban on all publicly funded foreign trips for all Federal Government officials with effect from April 1, 2024.
The suspension was contained in a circular dated March 12, 2024, from the State House and addressed to Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, for onward circulation to all the Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs).
The presidential directive came over three weeks after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved the full implementation of the 12-year-old Steve Oronsaye Report recommending the merger of government agencies and commissions, as a move to cut governance costs.
The President had also in January slashed travel delegations for all Federal Government official trips within and outside the country.
Tinubu had faced heavy criticism over his government’s “bloated” number of delegates at the COP28 Climate Summit in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), last December.
With soaring inflation, high cost of living and economic sufferings occasioned by the removal of petrol subsidy, many Nigerians had berated the government for being “insensitive” to their plight, saying that the Tinubu administration should lead by example and cut the cost of governance.
However, the President said the suspension of government officials from foreign trips was part of his administration’s cost reduction, with an intention to make all heads of MDAs “focus on effective service delivery, especially with regards to the mandates assigned to them”.
“Mr President has concerns about the rising cost of travel borne by Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the government as well as the growing needs for Cabinet members and heads of MDAs to focus on their respective mandates for effective service delivery.
“Considering the current economic challenges and the need for responsible fiscal management, I am writing to communicate Mr. President’s directive to place a temporary ban on all public funded international trips for all federal government officials from 1st April, 2024.
“This temporary measure is aimed at cost reduction in governance and intended as a cost saving measure without compromising governance functions,” the circular titled, ‘Presidential Directive to Suspend Public Funded Foreign Trips by Government Officials’ stated.
The circular also directed all government officials who intend to go on any public-funded international trip to seek and obtain presidential approval at least two weeks prior to embarking on any such trip, which must be deemed absolutely necessary.
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