Femi Falana, SAN, a human rights attorney and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, has requested that state governors and President Bola Tinubu reduce the size of their travel entourage to 40%.
Jerrymusa.com reports that Falana made this recommendation during a Thursday interview on Politics Today on Channels Television. On the other hand, the senior attorney applauded Tinubu for cutting down on his travel party to 60%.
The Government Should Reduce Expenses
Although he acknowledged that there are other places where resources may be prevented from going to waste, he said it is admirable that the government is beginning to reduce expenses.
Falana said, “It (cutting of entourage) is realistic, and if possible, the government can go further to reduce the number from 60 to 40 percent, or thereabout, with regards to the state of the economy. However, some places have to deal with areas where a lot of resources are being wasted.
“I’ve been on a trip and visited an embassy once. I was shocked to learn that Nigeria has been renting space for our embassy in Africa since 1962.
This shouldn’t be the case. Thus, he continued, “the government will need to examine the wasteful areas comprehensively.
Falana Emphasized the Importance of Sacrifice
Additionally, he said that governors ought to cut down on their travel entourage, just like the president does.
Falana discussed the necessity of sacrifice in the face of a weak economy, stating that after years of encouraging the impoverished to make the same sacrifices, it is now time for the government to tighten its belt.
“So, the government will have to look at the areas of waste holistically,” he said. Well, that’s a wise move on the president’s behalf.
“In order to inform Nigerians and the rest of the world that sacrifice is a matter that must begin at the top, our governors should likewise pare down their personal and foreign entourage.
Budget Needs to be Evaluated
“We have been asking the impoverished to tighten their belts for years, but the government needs to do it now. To reflect the current situation of the economy, the budget needs to be evaluated.
He continued, “I think it’s a good development that we are starting to begin to cut down the excesses of government right now, but we need to do more.”
Remember that President Tinubu oversaw a significant reduction in the number of travel delegations, as the Presidency declared on Tuesday? covers all official domestic and international travel by the Federal Government.
Presidential spokesperson Ajuri Ngelale claims that the decision impacts all MDAs, including the president’s, vice president’s, and first lady’s offices, and represents a 60% reduction in staffing overall.