The Convener of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Ideological Group, Bamidele Atoyebi, has urged President Bola Tinubu to enforce structured delegation of authority across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and establish a direct channel for Nigerians to communicate their concerns and ideas to the Presidency.

Atoyebi said the measures were necessary to address what he described as excessive centralisation of decision-making, prolonged absence of some political appointees without proper handover and the growing inaccessibility of senior government officials.

He made the call in a statement, noting that the President’s efforts to decentralise governance could be undermined if ministers, managing directors and other heads of government institutions continued to concentrate operational authority in their hands.

“Governance in a nation as dynamic and complex as Nigeria requires vision, efficiency, and structural agility,” he said.

Atoyebi said President Tinubu had consistently demonstrated commitment to decentralisation through initiatives such as the push for state policing, decentralisation of the power sector and efforts to recalibrate responsibilities between the Exclusive and Concurrent Legislative Lists.

He, however, said there was a “troubling disconnect” within some MDAs, where decision-making remained excessively concentrated at the top.

“Rather than keying into the President’s decentralised vision, many political appointees, whether Ministers or Managing Directors, have hyper-centralised operations within their respective domains,” he said.

Atoyebi explained that routine administrative processes, procurement approvals, payments and other critical government activities in some institutions could not proceed without the personal approval or signature of the head of the organisation.

He warned that such a system could paralyse government operations whenever a minister, managing director or other senior official travelled outside the country or became unavailable.

“When a Minister or MD travels abroad for weeks, essential government business grinds to a complete halt,” he said.

“Procurement processes sit in limbo, approved projects remain unexecuted, and contractors go unpaid—not always due to a lack of released funds, but because the sole individual with the authority to sign off is absent, having left no formal handover or delegated power behind.”

He argued that senior officials who travelled without formally transferring authority to a minister of state, permanent secretary or another designated successor were weakening the institutions they were appointed to lead.

Beyond delegation, Atoyebi expressed concern over what he described as a growing culture of inaccessibility among political appointees.

He said citizens, professionals and policy advocates often encountered locked doors, unanswered correspondence and difficulty gaining access to senior government officials, sometimes for months or more than a year.

“What many appointees fail to realise is that the citizens, professionals, and policy advocates seeking an audience are often not coming to ask for favours; most are coming to offer solutions,” he said.

According to him, such individuals often bring “actionable ideas, operational insights, and fresh perspectives” capable of helping government institutions fulfil their mandates and support the success of the administration.

Atoyebi said shutting out such citizens deprived the government of valuable intellectual capital at a time when Nigeria required practical solutions to its challenges.

“When patriotic citizens with aligned visions are routinely shut out, one must ask: what happens to the average Nigerian in desperate need of responsive governance?” he queried.

To address the situation, Atoyebi urged the President to issue an administrative directive requiring all MDAs to establish clear and decentralised operational workflows.

He proposed that every political appointee should designate a competent second-in-command with clearly defined authority to handle routine operational, procurement and financial matters whenever the principal officer was unavailable.

“Governance cannot be treated as a one-man show, nor can public service be tied to an individual’s physical presence,” he said.

Atoyebi also called for the creation of a direct presidential feedback mechanism through which ordinary Nigerians could communicate with the President without passing through multiple administrative gatekeepers.

He proposed a dedicated presidential feedback box or digital portal that would be personally overseen by the President and designed to provide unfiltered information on the performance of government institutions.

Drawing from the experience of former United States President Barack Obama, Atoyebi said Tinubu could benefit from regularly receiving direct accounts from Nigerians.

He cited Obama’s reported practice of reading letters from ordinary citizens as an example of how leaders could remain connected to realities outside government circles.

“By reading 10 to 20 direct communications daily from ordinary Nigerians, President Tinubu would gain raw, unvarnished insights into the performance of his appointees, the pain points of the public, and practical ideas from the ground level,” he said.

The convener further recommended the appointment of a Senior Special Assistant to the President on Policy Coordination to strengthen monitoring and coordination across government institutions.

According to him, the proposed official should monitor the practical, day-to-day operations of MDAs and assess whether ministers and other political appointees were present, accessible and actively delivering on their mandates.

He added that the proposed SSA should monitor administrative continuity by ensuring that senior officials properly delegated authority whenever they travelled or were absent from their duty posts.

“This initiative will provide the Presidency with essential oversight to maintain accountability and momentum across all government sectors,” Atoyebi said.

He maintained that the President’s leadership approach, which he described as being characterised by accessibility, listening and political skill, should also be reflected by government appointees.

“President Tinubu’s leadership style has long been recognised for accessibility, listening, and political skill. His appointees must reflect these same values rather than build walls around public institutions,” he said.

Atoyebi urged the President to act decisively to eliminate avoidable administrative bottlenecks, strengthen accountability and ensure continuity in government operations.

He said enforcing delegation across MDAs, improving access to political appointees and establishing a direct channel for citizens to communicate with the Presidency would help restore momentum to public service and ensure that the administration’s policies translated into tangible benefits for Nigerians.

“By enforcing delegation across MDAs and opening a direct line to the Nigerian public, the administration can eliminate unnecessary bottlenecks, restore momentum to public service, and ensure that the promise of governance truly reaches the people,” he said.