Tinubu rejects call to downsize his 48-man cabinet

By : Jimisayo Opanuga

Date: 23 December 2024 10:04pm WAT

Bola Tinubu during the commissioning of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Technology Innovation Complex (BATTIC) in Abuja on Tuesday.

Nigeria President and Chairman of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Bola Ahmed Tinubu looks on during the ECOWAS 66th Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of States and Government in Abuja on December 15, 2024. West African leaders from the regional group ECOWAS met on December 15, 2024 for a summit with three nation members led by military governments on the brink of quitting the bloc.
Before the Economic Community of West African States meeting, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger reaffirmed as “irreversible” their decision a year ago to quit the group, which they condemned as subservient to ex-colonial ruler France (Photo by Kola Sulaimon / AFP)

President Bola Tinubu has rejected proposals to cut his 48-member cabinet, stating that it is essential for efficient government.

Tinubu made this known during a media chat on Monday at his Bourdillon residence in Ikoyi, Lagos.

“I am not ready to bring down the size of my cabinet,” Tinubu said.

“I saw the need when I put them together. You don’t assign responsibilities to people who cannot fulfill them. The job description must be efficient and effective.”

The president also explained that sufficient staffing is necessary to achieve desired results.

He compared the size of his cabinet to the demands of hosting over 100 million guests, saying, “If you have to entertain over 100 million guests just on entertainment, calculate how many stewards you will require.”

He then noted that efficiency and effectiveness must be the main priorities, adding that he is not ready to shrink the size of his cabinet.

“Excuse me, let’s pay attention to efficient and effective. I am not ready to shrink a little bit; I need them.”