President Bola Tinubu’s directive to bar unauthorised officials from attending the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York is a good step towards reducing the cost of governance, however, it should not stop at that.
Development Diaries reports that the directive comes less than a year after the presidency was criticised over its bloated number of delegates at the COP28 Climate Summit in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
However, the success of this ban hinges on the implementation of strict measures to ensure compliance. In the past, similar directives have been undermined by loopholes, leading to bloated delegations despite clear instructions to the contrary.
Recall that President Tinubu, in January 2024, ordered a 60 percent reduction in his travel expenses and several officials in his entourage on local and international trips. However, he failed to detail implementation plans for this directive.
Over the years, the large delegations accompanying Nigerian leaders to international events have raised concerns about unnecessary expenditure and wastage of public funds.
If this directive is implemented, it aligns with calls to streamline government operations and ensure that resources are allocated efficiently.
Clear guidelines must be established, specifying who qualifies as an essential delegate. Additionally, there should be transparency in the process, with a public list of approved delegates released before the event to enable civil society and the media to hold the government accountable.
This would ensure that the government upholds trust from the citizenry.
Moreover, there should be consequences for non-compliance to reinforce the seriousness of the directive.
Development Diaries calls on President Tinubu to ensure that the directive is not merely symbolic but leads to tangible reductions in the cost of governance.
More importantly, beyond ensuring the implementation of this directive, we call on the president to develop policies to reduce the hardship and hunger faced by Nigerian citizens.
Photo source: Bola Tinubu
