President Bola Tinubu has asked his Chief of Staff, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, to slash governance costs and lower the size of Nigeria’s official delegation to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) meetings in New York, USA.
Gbajabiamila stated this directive on Saturday during a one-day retreat in Abuja held by the State House administration for heads of government agencies under its supervision on the theme ‘Strengthening Institutional Mechanisms for Effective Delivery’.
According to a statement released by presidential spokesperson Ajuri Ngelale, the Chief of Staff addressed participants at the retreat and stated that the decision to streamline Nigeria’s delegation to the 79th session of the UNGA in September was part of the administration’s commitment to ensure prudent resource management and reduce governance costs.
Gbajabiamila hinted at upcoming policy announcements aimed at ensuring efficient service delivery in government operations, emphasising the importance of the State House and its agencies adhering to statutes, regulations, policy decisions, and presidential directives in carrying out their functions.
He stated: “I just discussed this with the President this afternoon.” In the next weeks, we will see a test of this approach at the UNGA in New York.
“During recent protests, there was talk about lowering the cost of governance. Everyone is waiting to see if Nigeria, like in the past, will send the ‘biggest delegation’ to the UNGA.
“I received a command from Mr. President that this time we will be severe. If you have no business at the UN General Assembly, do not visit America; this is a directive from Mr. President,” he said.
The Chief of Staff encouraged the heads of agencies attending the retreat to rigorously comply, noting that the President was listening to Nigerians’ issues and was dedicated to addressing them diligently.
On the retreat, Gbajabiamila stated that it will improve collaboration and coordination among government agencies, particularly those directly overseen by the State House.
“The purpose is to ensure coherence as we collaborate to realise the goals of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“Coordination is not just a choice but a necessity for the government to succeed and for us to meet the expectations of the Nigerian people,” according to him.
According to him, the retreat would be a continuous exercise, as governance is an evolving process that requires regular adjustments.
He also urged the State House management and chief executives of agencies under its supervision to lead by example by ensuring compliance with statutes, laws, regulations, and various policies designed to enhance governance.
”We must demonstrate excellence in our compliance with the Public Procurement Act, Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria Act, the Finance Act, and various appropriation acts in operation.
”Compliance with the civil service rules and the scheme of service guidelines, especially regarding recruitment, promotion and presidential approvals is also non-negotiable,” Gbajabiamila added.