NIGERIAN PRESIDENT Bola
Tinubu Has Announced A Three-Month Ban On Ministers And Other Government
Officials From Taking Publicly Funded International Travel.
Tinubu's Chief
Administrator Said The Move Was Caused By The President's "Concern Over
The Increase In Travel Expenses" Of Public Officials.
The Ban Will Begin On April
1.
President Tinubu And His
Administration Have Been Criticized By Some Citizens For Their Frequent Trips
Abroad.
He Was Particularly
Attacked On Social Media, After His Government Helped More Than 400 People
Attend The COP28 Climate Conference In Dubai Last November.
Since Coming To Power In May
2023, Tinubu Has Made More Than 15 Trips Abroad.
The Nigerian President Is
Said To Have Spent About 3.4 Billion Naira (Over 5.5 Billion Shillings) On
Domestic And International Travel In The First Six Months Of His Presidency –
36 Percent More Than The Amount Approved For 2023, Nigeria's Punch Newspaper
Reported. In January, Citing Govspend, A Civic Technology Platform That Tracks
Government Spending.
Femi Gbajabiamila, The
State's Chief Administrative Officer, Added That The Travel Ban Would Reduce
Costs Amid "Nigeria's Current Economic Challenges And The Need For Prudent
Financial Management".
The West African Country
Is Facing One Of The Worst Cost-Of-Living Crises In Decades, A Situation That
Has Caused Suffering And Anger On A Large Scale.
The Three-Month Ban On
Official Government Trips Is A New Attempt By President Tinubu To Deal With
Public Opposition.
In January, Nigeria's President
Announced A 60% Reduction In The Size Of Official Travel Messages, Including
Reducing The Number Of People Who Follow Him On His Own Trips.
When The Ban Goes Into
Effect In April, Government Officials Will Go Abroad "Only If Absolutely
Necessary". They Will Also Need President Tinubu's Approval At Least Two
Weeks Before They Travel.
Gbajabiamila Added That
Stopping The Trip Will Ensure Government Officials "Concentrate On Their
Respective Responsibilities For Effective Service Delivery".
Despite Controlling The
Travel Of Government Officials, Tinubu Has Not Said Whether He Will Reduce His
Own Travel.
The President And His
Representatives Have Previously Defended His Trips As Important In Dealing With
Economic Problems That He Is Accused Of Ignoring.