PRESIDENT TINUBU AND THE LEGACY OF LOWERING THE LUXURY OF THE FIRST LADIES TO LIFT THE LIFE OF THE LOWER LADIES
By Bala Ibrahim
Last week, in response to what appears like addressing some of the demands of the protesters, that are calling for an end to bad governance in Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, took another self-denying step, that would reduce the majestic grandeur of his office, and bring in some simplicity in the styles of travels. The President did not stop there, he also imposed additional self-sacrificing measures in the office of the First lady. Equally affected is the Vice President, and if the English language would permit me, I would say, the office of the Second Lady, who is the wife of the Vice President. Everyone is going to give up a large chunk of the comfort he or she was enjoying, while on tour hitherto.
The measures were taken in order to reduce extravaganza at the top, and help other Nigerians advance the cause of good life at the bottom. In other words, the First Lady and the Second Lady, would be compelled to cut down on their luxuries, so as to make way for life to be pleasurable to the lower ladies. The austerity measures were announced by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, chief Ajuri Ngelale. He said, the President has directed a major slash of travel delegations for all Federal Government official trips within and outside the country.
According to him, “The directive means a 60% slash across the board and affects all MDAs, including the office of the president, vice president, and first lady. Additionally, when any international travel is being approved, the following limits have been placed on all ministers of the federation: four members of their staff, appointees, and the like will be allowed to travel with a minister on an official trip. The President has now approved for official travel that no more than 20 individuals be allowed to travel with him. That number will be cut down to five in the case of the first lady. Additionally, the number in the entourage on official international trips for the vice president will be cut to five, the number that will be placed as a limit on the wife of the vice president is also five. In terms of local trips, a new limit of 25 members of staff are to accompany him on domestic trips within the country. The President also limited the number of those to accompany the first lady on official trips within the country to 10 staff members.”
Extravaganza by the power players is an issue that is permanently on the lips of people in the forefront of the struggle for good governance in Nigeria. The introduction of these austerity measures, which some may say, too little too late, would therefore be seen as a step in the direction of changing the tide of bad governance. More so, because the measure are coming shortly after the publication of a damning report, on the lavish and the recklessly spectacular manner of travels by leaders in Nigeria. The report said, President Bola Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, and First Lady Remi Tinubu spent not less than N5.24bn on local and foreign travel between January and March 2024.
The analysis of the travel expenses, using GovSpend, a civic tech platform that tracks and analyses the Federal Government’s spending, showed that N1.35bn was spent as provision for presidential trips and other related expenses in three months, N3.53bn was spent on foreign exchange purchase during 10 international trips and N637.85m was disbursed to two travel agencies for the purchase of air tickets for presidential local and foreign trips. The payment, made through the State House transit account to various recipients, did not include estacodes of the President’s entourage.
Certainly, the introduction of these austerity measures would be seen as a step in the direction of sanity, as well as changing the tide of bad governance in Nigeria, where reports say that, 40.1% of people are poor.
According to the 2018/19 national monetary poverty line, 63% of the people are in a multidimensional poverty. Multidimensional poverty is higher in rural areas, where 72% of people are poor, compared to 42% of people in urban area, according to the report.
Probably, in his effort to standing up to be counted, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is trying to reduce such affluence and opulence by a few, in the midst of extreme poverty suffered by many. He is particularly lowering the luxury of the First ladies in order to lift the life of the lower ladies. With such cost cutting measures, the rooms of spectacular opulence and wanton display of great wealth or luxuriousness, would be curtailed.
Always, in the effort to right the wrong, or restore things to working order, some selfish interests would certainly be touched. Toes would be stepped upon. And such actions would bring in negative sentiments or entice emotions to come on the way. They would not permit some to admit the genuine intentions behind such actions. But for a leader with patriotism, who has the feeling of love, devotion, and a sense of attachment to his country, he would damn the consequences of any criticism, by going ahead to do the right thing.
And this action of lowering the luxury of the first lady in order to lift the life of the lower ladies, may be the beginning of beginning, in the fight for the restoration, or renovation of the psyche of some Nigerians, particularly those Nigerians that think that extravaganza with public funds is the right of the privileged.
A cliché has suddenly surfaced on the social media, citing a conversation between chief Bola Ahmed Tinubu and late Chuba Okadigbo, or a speech given by Okadigbo at a function, in the year 2003. The conversation went thus:
“The Establishment might not allow us to Rule Now, but be that as it may, on a very good day, at the appointed time, Tinubu will rule Nigeria. What I do not know, is whether I will be around when that happens. But even if am not there, (Chuba turned to Tinubu) please ASIWAJU, move on and fear not! The vultures will gather against you, but you know what we stand for. Be strong and continue, for you shall overcome!”
Perhaps, and I say Perhaps, the conscience of President Tinubu is being pricked by the patriotic purpose of the Okadigbo message, and he wants to make some amendments, including amendments to reckless spending by those in power, without regards to whose ox is going to be gored. Hence, the attempt to leave behind the legacy of lowering the luxury of the first lady, in order to lift the life of the lower ladies.
PRESIDENT TINUBU AND THE LEGACY OF LOWERING THE LUXURY OF THE FIRST LADIES TO LIFT THE LIFE OF THE LOWER LADIES