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After Budgeting N2bn For Travels, Buhari Slashes Allowance For Cabinet Members

December 31, 2019

On the nature and frequency of travels, all public-funded travels (local and foreign) must be strictly for official purposes backed with documentary evidence.

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President Muhammadu Buhari has again announced a reduction in the number of foreign trips permissible for members of his cabinet.

This is coming two months after he removed travel allowances known as estacode; while also cutting down on the number of persons permitted to travel with ministers and other government employees for official trips.

Buhari, who has received so much condemnation for his foreign trips, budgeted over N2.5bn for his local and international travels in 2020.

Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, announced that the days of travel as well as entourage has been reduced by the President while speaking to journalists on Monday.

Mohammed said that when a minister is at the head of an official delegation, the size of such delegation shall not exceed four including the relevant director, schedule officer and one aide of the minister adding that every other delegation below ministerial level shall be restricted to a maximum of three.

He also said that travels that are not beneficial to the country would not be approved.

Mohammed said, “On the nature and frequency of travels, all public-funded travels (local and foreign) must be strictly for official purposes backed with documentary evidence.

“In this regard, all foreign travels must be for highly-essential statutory engagements that are beneficial to the interest of the country." 

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Politics Travel