{"id":71208,"date":"2020-01-07T20:00:20","date_gmt":"2020-01-07T19:00:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/?p=71208"},"modified":"2020-01-07T20:00:20","modified_gmt":"2020-01-07T19:00:20","slug":"travel-restrictions-on-government-officials","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/articles-opinions\/travel-restrictions-on-government-officials\/","title":{"rendered":"TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS ON GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"m#msg-f:1655091534523258936\" class=\"mail-message expanded\">\n<div class=\"mail-message-header spacer\">BY JIDE AYOBOLU<\/div>\n<div class=\"mail-message-content collapsible zoom-normal mail-show-images \">\n<div class=\"clear\">\nPresident Muhammadu Buhari has directed that no minister should go on<br \/>\nforeign trips more than twice in a quarter. The Information and Culture,<br \/>\nLai Mohammed, who disclosed the directive, said government officials<br \/>\nbelow the rank of ministers are henceforth entitled to fewer aides.<br \/>\n\u201cBesides, no minister on a trip outside the shores of the land should<br \/>\ngo with more than four aides, who should be relevant to the trip,\u201d the<br \/>\nminister said.\u00a0 The Information, Culture and Tourism Minister, Alhaji<br \/>\nLai Mohammed, also explained that cabinet ministers can only travel out<br \/>\nof the country eight times in a year. Speaking on the Presidential<br \/>\norder, Lai Mohammed hinted that President Muhammadu Buhari in a<br \/>\ndirective issued has directed that no minister should go on foreign<br \/>\ntrips more than twice in a quarter. Similarly, he said estacode for<br \/>\ngovernment officials would no longer be calculated on an hourly basis.<\/p>\n<p>Right from the onset, it is imperative to underscore the fact that the<br \/>\nNigeria economy is not very strong. The present administration led by<br \/>\nPresident Muhammadu Buhari inherited an ebbing and wobbling economy from<br \/>\nthe PDP, after years of glaring economic mismanagement. The new<br \/>\ngovernment has worked relentlessly and assiduously to pull the country<br \/>\nout of recession as well as prudently manage the unpredictable economy.<br \/>\nThis administration is not pretending that it has the magic wand to wave<br \/>\naway all the enormous economic challenges overnight and pronto, make<br \/>\nNigeria an al dorado; of the process of revamping the economy would be<br \/>\ntedious and take some doings, and this is exactly what the government is<br \/>\ndoing.<\/p>\n<p>Therefore, Sequel to the presentation of the 2020 Appropriation Bill to<br \/>\nthe National Assembly, President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the<br \/>\nimmediate suspension of international travels by all Cabinet Members and<br \/>\nHeads of Government Agencies as to enable ministers personally lead the<br \/>\nprocess of budget defence at the National Assembly. This is according to<br \/>\na communique by Willie Bassey, director of information, office of<br \/>\nSecretary to the Government of the Federation. Mr Bassey notes that the<br \/>\nsuspension of such travels will enable Functionaries and Agencies of the<br \/>\nExecutive Arm to provide the required cooperation with the Legislature<br \/>\nin order to ensure timely passage of the Appropriation Bill.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHonourable Ministers who have already secured approval to travel are<br \/>\nby this directive, required to revalidate such approvals with Mr.<br \/>\nPresident after confirming the Schedule of Appearances with the relevant<br \/>\ncommittees of the National Assembly. \u201cFurthermore, all Ministries,<br \/>\nDepartments and Agencies (MDAs) have been directed to liaise with the<br \/>\nrelevant committees of the National Assembly for their Schedules of<br \/>\nBudget defence,\u201d the statement read.<\/p>\n<p>Also, President Muhammadu Buhari has slashed estacodes and the number<br \/>\nand duration of foreign trips for ministers and other public officials.<br \/>\nThis is as the President approved additional cost-saving measures aimed<br \/>\nat curtailing financial indiscipline in official travels of Ministers,<br \/>\nPermanent Secretaries and other top officials of Ministries, Departments<br \/>\nand Agencies (MDAs.)<\/p>\n<p>A statement issued by the Office of Secretary to the Government of the<br \/>\nFederation yesterday signed by the Director of Information, Willie<br \/>\nBassey, said henceforth all foreign travels must be for highly essential<br \/>\nstatutory engagements that are beneficial to the interest of the<br \/>\ncountry. \u201cExcept with the express approval of Mr. President,<br \/>\nMinisters, Permanent Secretaries, Chairmen of Extra-Ministerial<br \/>\nDepartments, Chief Executive Officers and Directors are restricted to<br \/>\nnot more than two (2) foreign travels in a quarter,\u201d the statement<br \/>\nsaid.<\/p>\n<p>According to the statement, all Ministries, Departments and Agencies<br \/>\n(MDAs) are henceforth to submit their Yearly Travel Plans for statutory<br \/>\nmeetings and engagements to the Office of the Secretary to the<br \/>\nGovernment of the Federation and\/or the Office of the Head of Civil<br \/>\nService of the Federation for express clearance within the first quarter<br \/>\nof the fiscal year, before implementation.<\/p>\n<p>It also said MDAs are also to make their presentation using the existing<br \/>\ntemplate and also secure approvals on specific travels as contained in<br \/>\nthe plan, from the appropriate quarters. It said all public-funded<br \/>\ntravels must be strictly for official purposes backed with documentary<br \/>\nevidence.<\/p>\n<p>The statement added that \u201cWhen a Minister is at the head of an<br \/>\nofficial delegation, the size of such delegation shall not exceed four<br \/>\nincluding the relevant Director, Schedule Officer and one Aide of the<br \/>\nMinister.\u201dEvery other delegation below ministerial level shall be<br \/>\nrestricted to a maximum of three.\u201d For Class of Air Travels, President<br \/>\nBuhari approved that Ministers, Permanent Secretaries, Special Advisers,<br \/>\nSenior Special Assistants to the President, Chairmen of<br \/>\nExtra-Ministerial Departments and Chief Executive Officers of<br \/>\nParastatals who are entitled would continue to fly Business Class while<br \/>\nother categories of Public Officers are to travel on Economy Class.<\/p>\n<p>Also, travel days will no longer attract payment of Estacode Allowances<br \/>\nas duration of official trips shall be limited to only the number of<br \/>\ndays of the event as contained in the supporting documents to qualify<br \/>\nfor public funding, the statement added. It said the Auditor-General of<br \/>\nthe Federation has been directed to treat all expenditures that<br \/>\ncontravene these guidelines as ineligible.<\/p>\n<p>The statement reads, \u201cIn a bid to curb leakages and ensure efficiency<br \/>\nin the management of resources of government, President Muhammadu Buhari<br \/>\nhas approved for immediate implementation, additional cost-saving<br \/>\nmeasures aimed at instilling financial discipline and prudence,<br \/>\nparticularly, in the area of official travels. \u201cHenceforth, all<br \/>\nMinistries, Departments and Agencies are required to submit their yearly<br \/>\ntravel plans for statutory meetings and engagements to the Office of the<br \/>\nSecretary to the Government of the Federation and\/or the Office of the<br \/>\nHead of Civil Service of the Federation for express clearance within the<br \/>\nfirst quarter of the fiscal year, before implementation. \u201cAlso, when a<br \/>\nminister is at the head of an official delegation, the size of such<br \/>\ndelegation shall not exceed four, including the relevant director,<br \/>\nschedule officer and one aide of the minister. \u201cEvery other delegation<br \/>\nbelow ministerial level shall be restricted to a maximum of three.<br \/>\n\u201cFor class of air travels, the President has approved that ministers,<br \/>\npermanent secretaries, special advisers, senior special assistants to<br \/>\nthe President, chairmen of extra-ministerial departments and chief<br \/>\nexecutive officers of parastatals who are entitled, to continue to fly<br \/>\nbusiness class while other categories of public officers are to travel<br \/>\non economy class. \u201cTravel days will no longer attract payment of<br \/>\nestacode allowances as duration of official trips shall be limited to<br \/>\nonly the number of days of the event as contained in the supporting<br \/>\ndocuments to qualify for public funding.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It would be recalled that the federal government has directed all its<br \/>\ndirectors-general, managing directors and executive secretaries to start<br \/>\nflying economy class on all local and international flights. A previous<br \/>\ndirective issued in April 2016 banned ministers and other federal<br \/>\ngovernment officials from flying first class. The latest circular, dated<br \/>\nNovember 2, 2016, reads thus: \u201cIn view of the ensuing budgetary and<br \/>\nfiscal challenges faced by the federal government arising from low oil<br \/>\nrevenue, it has become necessary to review the Guidelines for Local and<br \/>\nInternational Travels as provided for in Circular Ref. No. SGF.<br \/>\n6\/S.2\/X\/545 of 31st March, 2016, with a view to further prune recurrent<br \/>\nexpenses on travels and tours.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAccordingly, government has decided that all civil and public<br \/>\nservants in the rank of Directors and below in federal ministries,<br \/>\ndepartments and agencies as well as Chief Executive Officers (Managing<br \/>\nDirectors, Executive Secretaries, Directors-General, etc) of federal<br \/>\ngovernment parastatals, agencies and institutions are henceforth to<br \/>\ntravel on economy class for both local and international travels.<br \/>\nSimilarly, all non-executive chairmen and members of federal government<br \/>\nboards of parastatals are henceforth to travel economy class.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The circular makes an exemption for ministers, permanent secretaries,<br \/>\npresidential aides, service chiefs and \u201crelevant\u201d heads of armed and<br \/>\npara-military services who are still allowed to travel business class.<br \/>\nLawal said there should be \u201cimmediate compliance\u201d with the directive<br \/>\n\u201cFor avoidance of doubt, it should be noted that government will<br \/>\nmonitor the implementation of this directive and any breach will be met<br \/>\nwith appropriate sanctions,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>This government is committed to prudently managing and stopping waste<br \/>\nand leakages in the system, there will be no room for duplication of<br \/>\noffices and responsibility; the Buhari led government has shown that it<br \/>\nis its desire that everybody benefits from the goodies that the change<br \/>\nmantra will bring to the country and not just a few people. If the truth<br \/>\nmust be told, the past not a few civil servants and government officials<br \/>\nhave gone away with blue murder in the name of foreign trip allowance,<br \/>\notherwise called graft.<\/p>\n<p>The Buhari led government has been working round the clock to ensure<br \/>\nthat the suffering of Nigerians are assuaged and ameliorated, by laying<br \/>\na solid foundation for a greater and better tomorrow. The campaign of<br \/>\ncalumny against the government of President Buhari has been largely<br \/>\npredicated on ethnicity and tribal particularism as well as politics of<br \/>\nvendetta, especially by the opposition party that roundly defeated at<br \/>\nthe polls after many years of misrule, bad governance and monumental<br \/>\nfraud. The other point which cannot be waved aside is the fact that one<br \/>\nof the cardinal policies of this administration is the war against<br \/>\ncorruption, and since this government came on board, never like before,<br \/>\nit has consistently waged relentless war against graft in the country;<br \/>\nand the high and mighty are not spared; now in a surreptitious manner,<br \/>\ncorruption is fighting back in a very dirty and desperate manner.<\/p>\n<p>It is germane to observe and rightly so that, since the present<br \/>\nadministration came on board under the leadership and watch of President<br \/>\nMuhammadu Buhari, the president and his team has worked relentlessly to<br \/>\nbail out the economy from the recession in which it is presently<br \/>\nenmeshed, an economic situation which is self-inflicted as a result of<br \/>\nbad governance, mismanagement, corruption and apparent lack of<br \/>\naccountability of past leaders in the country. They dissipated the<br \/>\nscarce financial resources of the country on conspicuous consumption as<br \/>\nwell as hedonistic and epicurean lifestyles; and refused to save for the<br \/>\nraining day. It is this multifaceted errors of the past that the present<br \/>\ngovernment is trying to put right, unfortunately, the present government<br \/>\nhas been severally criticized by those who created the economic<br \/>\nchallenges in the first place, particularly members of the past<br \/>\nadministration, who mercilessly plunder and pillage the resources of the<br \/>\ncountry on selfish individual desires, thereby neglecting vast majority<br \/>\nof the people. With the body language and mannerism of some members of<br \/>\nthe present administration, it is obvious that they are not on the same<br \/>\npage with the president in truly salvaging the country from economic<br \/>\nruination and quagmire.<\/p>\n<p>For instance, members of the national assembly, with all their economic<br \/>\npreachments and sanctimonious claims, they have rapaciously refused to<br \/>\ncut down on their illegal and immoral fat salaries and allowances, yet,<br \/>\nthey want Nigerians to make sacrifices, while they feed fat on the sweat<br \/>\nand toil of Nigerians. As the government is working hard to resolve the<br \/>\nfundamental economic contradictions with the economy, people who have<br \/>\nillegitimately enriched themselves by pilfering the national treasury<br \/>\nand are presently undergoing trials, are clandestinely sponsoring<br \/>\nviolence against the Nigerian state and painting the country black in<br \/>\nboth local and international media.<\/p>\n<p>This is contrary to some spurious and erroneous claims in some quarters<br \/>\nthat this government is idle and doing nothing about the socio-economic<br \/>\nmiasma in which the country is presently enmeshed, unfortunately, this<br \/>\nunfounded and baseless claim is gaining currency because of the hardship<br \/>\nNigerians are presently going through. Those who created these problems<br \/>\nare now behaving like the much-needed messiah to rescue the country from<br \/>\nthis crisis, but what did they do for the country and the people in the<br \/>\nlast 16 years? The gang-up and conspiracy against the Buhari led<br \/>\ngovernment is because of the anti-corruption crusade of the present<br \/>\nadministration, hence, their inability to make cheap money and fleece<br \/>\nthe country of funds needed for development. Undoubtedly, this<br \/>\ngovernment is working hard and even world leaders know this fact, hence<br \/>\nthe need for all Nigerians to rally round the government and move the<br \/>\ncountry forward; and stop the issue of violence, blackmail, vendetta,<br \/>\ncorruption and anything that can inhibit growth and development in the<br \/>\npolity.<\/p>\n<p>Therefore, the present administration in the country should be commended<br \/>\nand not vilified by the people, all that the government needs at the<br \/>\nthis time is the cooperation, support, solidarity, patience and<br \/>\nunderstanding on the part of the people and anybody or group of people<br \/>\nthat wants to constitute themselves into a cog in the wheel of progress<br \/>\nshould be viewed as economic saboteur and should be dealt with, in<br \/>\naccordance with the provisions of the law, after all, Nigeria is greater<br \/>\nthan anybody or group of people, and we should all join hands together<br \/>\nand make it great.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"mail-message-footer spacer collapsible\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Related Posts generic via filter on the_content -->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>BY JIDE AYOBOLU President Muhammadu Buhari has directed that no minister should go on foreign trips more than twice in a quarter. The Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, who disclosed&hellip;<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Related Posts generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":66623,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-71208","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles-opinions"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS ON GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS - Pointblank News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/articles-opinions\/travel-restrictions-on-government-officials\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS ON GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS - Pointblank News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"BY JIDE AYOBOLU President Muhammadu Buhari has directed that no minister should go on foreign trips more than twice in a quarter. 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