Tinubu’s Ministers’ N8.63b entitlements in four years amid lean funds
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Citizens are still expressing shock and outrage about the large number of Ministers President Bola Tinubu has amassed, with a cabinet of 48 members billed to cost the treasury N8.63 billion in salaries and allowances spread over four years.
Their concern stemmed from disclosure by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) of the salaries and allowances.
It arose from the promise of the All Progressives Congress (APC) during the campaign that it would reduce the cost of governance and improve living standards if it won Aso Rock.
Many wondered how the promise of reducing the cost of governance would be fulfilled with 48 Ministers earning such a humongous amount of money in just four years.
They said Tinubu should have pegged the number of Ministers at around 33 as former President Goodluck Jonathan did.
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Largest cabinet since 1999 amid lean funds
Among individuals and bodies that expressed their views on the matter, per a survey by Daily Post, are regular citizens, lawyers, the Middle Belt Forum (MBF), and Centre for Fiscal Transparency and Integrity Watch (CefTIW).
Marcellus Onah (lawyer)
“Tinubu’s cabinet of 48 ministers appears to be the largest since Nigeria returned to democratic governance in 1999. His immediate predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari had 42 ministers.
“Former President Olusegun Obasanjo also had 42 ministers throughout his eight years in office. Late President Umar Musa Yar’Adua had 39 ministers.
“Goodluck Jonathan had the least, 33 ministers, nine of whom were carried over from Yar’Adua’s administration. Jonathan later increased the number to 37 just before the 2015 general election.
“But Tinubu is here appointing 48 ministers at a time when the country’s fiscal challenges are nothing to write home about. He should be thinking of reducing the cost of governance as he promised, and not creating avenues for more expenses.”
Mike Okaro (Lagos resident)
“Government borrowing is becoming a national embarrassment. The debt profile of the government is at its peak.
“Considering the current debt profile of the government and the biting hardship being experienced as a result of the fuel subsidy removal, one would expect the government that is mouthing renewed hope to emulate Jonathan or even stick to the constitutional requirement of one minister per state, at least for now.
“But the government is carrying on as if all is well with the country’s economy.
“Obasanjo had 42 ministers at a time when the economy was viable. Yar’Adua had 39 ministers. Buhari had 42 ministers too.
“They were all presidents when there was subsidy on fuel and prices of essential commodities were within the reach of ordinary people, yet none of them exceeded 42 ministers.
“Today, there is no subsidy on petrol and its effect has touched on almost every aspect of the people’s lives, making survival very difficult.
“Yet, the government that is preaching renewed hope is appointing 48 ministers, the highest number since the country returned to democracy in 1999. Where is the renewed hope when people are losing all hopes almost on a daily basis?
“Ordinarily, this government should have considered the economic situation and emulated Jonathan who did not have up to 36 ministers, or even done better than him by appointing fewer than 36 because the country does not have money.
“The government survives on borrowing. But, no, politicians must enjoy it at the expense of the masses.”
Pogu Bitrus (MBF President)
“This is not the first time in Nigeria that it is happening that way. During civilian regime, just to appease people, they appoint a lot of ministers beyond what the constitution says for whatever reason. It is not good for the economy.
“The constitution says a minister per state, which is supposed to be 36 plus one from the FCT, Abuja, but because the constitution does not restrict the numbers, you see presidents appointing more than that minimum number all the time.
“It is unwieldy; it is not good for the country but that is the situation of our democracy.
“And mind you, what we call democracy is just a political game in Nigeria, which is used just to satisfy the demands and needs of political office holders and the constituencies which they represent.
“So I, particularly, don’t support this large and over-bloated cabinet structure.
“If you look at the United States of America in terms of size, it is larger than Nigeria but how many ministers do they have over there? There are not even up to 20 ministers in the US.
“So, the issue is that this cumbersome government which we have is not good for our society; it is not good for us and for governance.
“It is necessary for the National Assembly to revisit this issue in the constitution so that we can have a better government that will not be taxing the taxpayers too much.
“Yes, Tinubu is not the first person to have done it, but what we are saying is that there is the need to legislate on such things, so that we can have a better government system which will not be consuming too much of our lean resources.
“Maybe for political reasons, the President is doing what he is doing rather than considering the economy and the capacity of the country to sustain such a structure.
“What we are saying is that the National Assembly needs to wake up and do the needful so that the presidential system of government will not continue to be as unwieldy as it is. This will also guarantee greater prudence.
“You see, I do not believe in the parliamentary system of government but it is less cumbersome and highly economical because the ministers, including the person who is going to lead the country, will be somebody who is elected among them as a legislator.
“And instead of having double portfolios, the governance will be a bit less in terms of consumption of the resources and everything will also be debated in the House, so the executive and the legislature are the same.
“I don’t know whether we should develop a Nigerian specific type of governance, so that it will not be so unwieldy the way we have it now. It is unfortunate that in our economic situation, we are still battling with unnecessary appointments of ministers.
“But, we need to tell the National Assembly that it has powers to modify and add to the constitution, to do the needful so that such things can be curbed and stopped forthwith, and to look for a system of governance that will not be so costly, including what is happening in the National Assembly.”
Umar Yakubu (CefTIW Executive Director)
“The constitutional requirement for appointment says one minister from each state and the FCT, which is supposed to be 37.
“But now, the president has appointed 11 more ministers above the constitutional requirement, which will now add pressure to the cost of governance and recurrent expenditures.
“It is wasteful to have 48 ministers when other countries are merging. For instance, the US [federal government] only has 15 ministries.
“Unfortunately, we are down here expanding and adding more burden to our fiscal crisis. Official vehicles would be bought for these ministers, and you can imagine the cost of fueling and maintaining the vehicles.”
Yusuf Shehu (APC, Katsina Assembly)
“Some can’t even afford one meal per day. Families spend two, three days without food. So, for only 48 ministers to consume N8.6 billion is very unfortunate.
“Politics in Nigeria is so expensive that leaders don’t consider the situation of the common man. Some people will faint when they hear that this kind of huge amount would be spent on 48 ministers in four years only.
“Our hospitals are dilapidated, our schools have collapsed and our roads are bad, but the government is very comfortable spending such a huge amount of money on only 48 ministers in just four years.
“And this excludes other perquisites not known to the public. This is just the salaries and allowances only. How can Nigeria progress with this kind of spending on the leaders?
“If the ministers are really working for the people, they should sit down and reduce their salaries and allowances because the money is too humongous. They should know that the people are suffering.”