To Reduce Cost of Governance, Tinubu Issues New Directives to Ministers, Others

*Approves maximum of three cars for them, okays attachment of five security men to each

*Instructs NSA to ensure immediate reduction of ministers’ vehicles, security deployment
*Cabinet reshuffle bold, audacious, says APGA, hails Bianca Ojukwu’s appointment
*President should have increased female ministers, ActionAid says

Deji Elumoye, Michael Olugbode and Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

About 24 hours after reorganising his cabinet, President Bola Tinubu has introduced a new cost-cutting measure, restricting ministers and heads of agencies of the federal government to a maximum of three vehicles in their official convoys.
The directive, which was announced yesterday in a statement by the president, also indicated that no additional vehicles would be assigned to the public officials for movement.
In the directive, Tinubu also ordered all ministers and heads of agencies to have at most five security aides attached to them.
He said the security team would comprise four police officers and one Department of State Services (DSS) officer, stating that no additional security person would be assigned.
The president instructed the National Security Adviser (NSA), Malam Nuhu Ribadu, to engage with the military, paramilitary and other security agencies to determine a suitable reduction in the vehicles and security personnel deployment of his appointees.
All affected officials were expected to comply with the new orders immediately, underscoring the urgency and seriousness of the changes.
In January, Tinubu took significant steps to reduce government expenditure, by reducing his entourage on foreign trips from 50 to 20 officials. For local trips, he reduced it to 25 officials.
Similarly, he reduced the vice president’s entourage to five officials on foreign trips and 15 for local trips.

APGA: Ministerial Reshuffle Audacious

All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) commended Tinubu’s ministerial reshuffle, which saw the appointment of Mrs. Bianca Ojukwu, wife of the party’s former national leader emerge as a minister.
APGA described the move by the president as bold and audacious, and something that could lift the country out of its present economic challenges.
Ojukwu’s wife was among the seven new ministers whose appointments were unveiled by Tinubu on Wednesday.
National Chairman of APGA, Sylvester Ezeokenwa, in an interview with THISDAY, said the appointment was a welcome development and a sign that the president was ready to look beyond partisan consideration to find solutions to the numerous challenges facing the country.
Ezeokenwa said, “It’s a very welcome development. I wouldn’t have been more proud as the chairman of the party. Bianca Ojukwu is one of our most revered members – very iconic, very striking.
“A woman with many sterling qualities and the wife of our foremost national leader, Dim Chukwuemeka Odimegwu Ojukwu, who both in life and death we have him as our national leader.”
Ezeokenwa stated that the appointment of Ojukwu’s wife and others not affiliated to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) was of great significance and something that could help bring about improvement in governance.
He said in trying to perform the expected magic, the president must look beyond partisan politics and party affiliation to shop for credible Nigerians with what it takes to rescue the country from the current economic situation.

ActionAid: Tinubu Should’ve Increased Female Ministers

ActionAid Nigeria decried the non-increase in the ministerial slot to women after Tinubu’s recent cabinet shakeup.
Country Director, ActionAid Nigeria, Andrew Mamedu, in a statement, said the organisation “acknowledges the recent cabinet reshuffling, along with the disbandment and merging of some ministries, as an effort towards recalibrating governance”.

ActionAid stated, “While restructuring is within the president’s prerogative, this moment demands that government agendas are decisively aligned with the needs of citizens, with a focus on inclusivity, cost-efficiency, and competent service delivery.

“The ousting of three female portfolio ministers and appointment of seven new portfolio ministers, three of which are women, raises serious questions about the government’s commitment to advancing gender equality, youth engagement, social development and the fulfilment of the 35 per cent Affirmative Action benchmark.

“In a country with an already low representation of women in both elective and appointed positions, this was a crucial opportunity for the government to advance gender parity.

“Appointing more women would have signalled a decisive step toward closing this persistent gap. Instead, this move reinforces systemic exclusion and undermines years of advocacy for gender inclusion.”