In a surprising turn of events, President Bola Tinubu has breached his own directive aimed at reducing the number of individuals in his entourage for local and international travels. The announcement, made just last Tuesday, highlighted the President’s commitment to slashing officials accompanying him and other high-ranking government representatives on official trips.
Ajuri Ngelale, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, had emphasized that this move was part of the new government’s “massive cost-cutting measures.”
Mr Tinubu directed that individuals on his delegations should be pegged at 25 for local travels and 20 for international engagements. He also ordered that security agents based at his destinations should be regularly deployed for his protection whenever he travels to states instead of being accompanied by many security details from Abuja.
The policy drew huge praises from many Nigerians who had all along been irritated by the regime of waste and mismanagement of public funds characterising government operations at state and federal levels.
The directive was issued following a barrage of criticisms of Nigeria’s 1,411-member contingent to the COP 28 climate conference in Dubai and other wasteful public spending patterns.
But less than a week after the new laudable policy took effect, President Tinubu himself violated it. PREMIUM TIMES understands that when he travelled to the South-east state of Imo on Monday to attend the inauguration of Governor Hope Uzodinma for a second and final term, more than 50 individuals were on his delegation.
In his first trip outside Abuja since the new policy was announced, Mr Tinubu flew with at least 25 people on the presidential aircraft to Owerri, the Imo State capital. At least another 30 officials travelled before his arrival in the city.
Some of those who flew with the President on the NAF 001 are his son, Seyi Tinubu; his senior special assistant/private secretary, Aderemi Damilotun; his principal secretary, Hakeem Muri-Okunola; his senior special assistant on domestic matters; Subair Oluwatoyin and his senior special assistant on social events, Atika Ajaka.
Also on the flight were two other Personal Assistants to Mr Tinubu, Kamorudeen Yusuf and Wale Fadare; the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale; the State Chief of Protocol, Victor Adeleke; the Chief Security Officer (CSO) to the President, Fasasi Adegboyega; the Aide-de-Camp (ADC) to the President, Nurudeen Yusuf (a lieutenant colonel); the Chief Principal Staff Officer to the President (CPSO), Usman Shugaba (a deputy commissioner of police); the Personal Physician to the President, Dr Tinubu Sikiru Adekunle; the Chief Detail to the President; Bashir Mohammed and the Presidential Liaison Officer, Musa Yakubu.
Other officials who flew with Mr Tinubu include:
In what one State House official described as ludicrous, also on the presidential aircraft for the trip were Eniola Sakumbi, the personal assistant to the President’s ADC and a certain Emma, who functions as personal assistant to the President’s CSO.
In addition to the officials who flew with Mr Tinubu for an engagement that lasted only a few hours, at least 30 other people were mobilised to travel by commercial aircraft ahead of the President’s arrival in the Imo state capital.
Our sources said the advance party included the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Print Media, Abdulaziz Abdulaziz, as well as five other officials from the media unit of the presidency, six officials from the protocol department, 15 security details and five journalists covering the State House in Abuja, even when their media organisations have representatives in Owerri and were on ground to cover the inauguration.
Also on the advance party were soldiers from the Brigade of Guards, drivers and other auxiliary staff with little or no role to play in Owerri.
Presidential spokesperson, Mr Ngelale, did not answer or return calls seeking his comments for this story. As of the time of filing this story, he had yet to respond to a message sent to him.
Credit: Premium Times
