A canada based Nigerian, Oluwafemi Adegbulugbe has accused President Bola Tinubu of being insincere about addressing high cost of governance in the country.
The canada based Nigerian made the accusation in a statement circulated to newsmen, on Friday.
The statement read, “On October 24, 2024, President Tinubu announced measures to address high cost of Governance.
“The announced measures were limited to the following;
restriction of Ministers, Ministers of State, and Heads of Agencies of the Federal Government to a “maximum of three vehicles’ in their official convoys; Ordered all ministers, ministers of state, and heads of agencies to have at ‘most five security personnel’ attached to them, one of which must be a DSS operative.
“With his accounting background and by this announcement, President Tinubu has demonstrated gross insincerity about addressing high cost of Governance.
“It is indeed laughable and utterly ridiculous that a Government running a budget deficit of N20 Trillion is focusing on the reduction of size of convoys and security detail as major efforts to address cost of governance.
“A Government that spends N250m of public funds to decorate halls with flowers has a lot more to do than deceiving the people with a yahoo-419 cost reduction.
“95% of the road travels by Ministers and Head of agencies is the commute to and from office. The question is “Why will a Minister or Head of Agency require 3 cars to go to office?”.
“General Murtala Ramat Muhammed (May God bless his soul), as Head of State went to office daily with 1 car and 1 security personnel.
Again, May God bless the soul of General Murtala Mohammed.
“The ratio of citizen to police in Nigeria is 1 police officer for every 1,000 citizens. So why would 1 Minister have 5 security personnel when 1,000 Nigerians are protected by 1 policeman?
“It is said that little drops of water make an ocean. The announced measures are welcome but totally insignificant if we are serious about addressing high cost of Governance. We are currently running a budget deficit of N20tr and rising!
“To effectively address high cost of Governance, my proposed shopping cart include; Restrictions on foreign travels by Government officials; restrictions on both local and foreign training; reduction in estacode allowances for public office holders; mandatory 10% reduction in OPEX by all MDAs; cuts in salaries and allowances for all public office holders, elected and appointed; suspension of £10,000 annual foreign medical check up allowances for members of the Supreme Court and other similar allowances across all tiers of Government, 30% reduction in number of assistants and aides of public office holders; suspension of medical tourism and vacation on foreign soil by Mr President and family.
“It is misuse of State resources to assign a DSS operative to Ministers, Minister of State and Head of Agencies. It is not the job of the DSS to offer protection to Ministers and Head of Agencies.
“In the United State of America, the role of the secret service is to offer protection to the president and vice president, the president-elect and vice president-elect, the immediate families of those individuals, former presidents and their spouses for their lifetimes, except that protection of a spouse shall terminate in the event of remarriage, Children of a former president who are under 16 years of age, visiting heads of foreign states or foreign governments, other distinguished foreign visitors, major presidential and vice presidential candidate,former vice presidents, their spouses and their children who are under 16 years of age, for a period of not more than six months after the date the former vice president leaves office.
“It is interesting to note that only 2 Cabinet members enjoy Secret service protection in USA. They are Secretary of State and Secretary of Homeland security.
“While the SS in America offer 24 hours protection to about 40 families in America under the above listed category, the DSS in Nigeria offers 24 hours protection to about 400 families, all politically exposed persons, at taxpayers expense.
The assignment of DSS operatives to Ministers and Head of agencies is an abuse and waste of scarce national resources. It is even a shame that non dependent children of Mr President enjoy DSS protection. It is a big shame on us all!
“It is unfortunate and sad that President Tinubu, a President with solid accounting background has adopted a bookkeeper and insincere approach to reducing cost of governance in Nigeria”.
