President Bola Tinubu appears unwilling to cut Nigeria’s high cost of governance despite the country’s dwindling revenue. 

Development Diaries reports that the president recently nominated Jamila Ibrahim to serve as Minister of Youth, and Ayodele Olawande as the Minister of State for Youth.

Already, 45  ministers have been confirmed by the senate, and replacements for three dropped nominees – Nasir el-Rufai, Sani Abubakar Danladi, and Stella Okotete – are still being awaited.

Therefore, President Tinubu could end up working with 50 ministers – the highest in the country’s history – at a time when Nigeria is facing an unprecedented economic crisis.

According to the 1999 Constitution, one minister must be selected for each state, and when the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) is included, that suggests a maximum of 37 ministers.

The president continues to tell Nigerians that he understands their pain and suffering and they should endure for a while, but he has blatantly refused to cut the cost of governance to demonstrate sacrifice on the part of the leaders. 

The high cost of governance continues to be a major issue for Nigeria even as the country’s debt burden continues to rise.

This can be attributed to the bloated compensation given to political officeholders to support their extravagant lifestyles, the needless expansion of government agencies, and the unjustified acquisition of luxury goods and services. 

The sad part is that taxpayers are footing the bill for government officials’ extravagant lifestyles.

Development Diaries reiterates its condemnation of the high number of ministers and calls on the president to demonstrate genuine commitment towards cutting the high cost of governance.

Photo source: Bola Ahmed Tinubu