‘Tinubu’s foreign trips cost Nigeria N2.3b in six months’

Ezekwesili, Sowore flay govt spending amid hardship, debt crisis

In just six months, President Bola Tinubu has spent a staggering N2.3 billion on foreign trips and related expenses, despite soaring inflation and widespread hardship in the country.

Former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, has strongly condemned the President, the National Assembly and state governors for their display of fiscal rascality amid Nigeria’s crippling debt burden.

Also, the African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Omoyele Sowore, lambasted Tinubu for acquiring a new presidential jet, an Airbus A330, amid the country’s economic woes.

Data from GovSpend, a BudgIT Foundation analytics platform, revealed that between February 21 and July 19, 2024, Tinubu spent N2,346,623,000 on foreign trips, a significant portion of his overall spending since taking office.

According to GovSpend, on February 21, 2024, the State House, Abuja, paid N300 million for Presidential trips and related expenses for January 2024.

“On February 24, the State House also made a N250 million payment for Presidential trips and related expenses. And on March 15, N42,379,100 was paid for Presidential trips and related expenses.

“On March 15, N9,484,310 was paid for Presidential trips and related expenses. On the same date, N25,393,490 and N34,185,400 were paid for the same purpose,” the data revealed.

Other payments made for Presidential foreign trips, as disclosed by the document referenced by Go spend include N5,602,600, N106,422,600, N5,505,100, N5,001,700, N65,474,000 and N300 million among others.

Similarly, between February 24 and March 15, Tinubu’s government spent N2,902,314,310.35 on buying foreign exchange for the President, his Vice, Kashim Shettima, and his wife, Oluremi, for trips to Ethiopia, Switzerland, Liberia, France, Côte d’Ivoire and other purposes.

According to the payment details on GovSpend, on February 24, N750 million was used to buy $1,271,997 for the President’s trip to Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Ezekwesili’s remarks followed public outrage over the procurement of a new presidential jet. In a statement yesterday, she accused the government of indulging in luxury spending while asking citizens to “sacrifice for the future.”

The ex-minister described the government’s actions as “obscene indulgence” and “fiscal rascality,” emphasising that “this level of unjust governance is unsustainable.”  She warned that the citizens’ restiveness, fuelled by hunger and discontent, would persist and may eventually lead to a “class war” against the political class.

The founder of #FixPolitics Initiative said: “Imagine the Nigerian President and his Vice, the Senate, House of Representatives and the governors of mostly unviable 36 states enjoying obscene luxuries while asking the poor to sacrifice for the future.

“Something will have to give way someday soon because this level of unjust governance is frankly not sustainable. The class war that members of the Nigerian political class are asking for as a result of their insensitivity to the plight of the people will, for sure, end their fiscal rascality.

“Having been following the raging controversy on the “Salaries of Lawmakers, the deja vu is uncanny; recalling a similar uproar that followed a keynote speech I delivered on the cost of governance on August 19, 2013 yesterday was exactly eleven years ago in that saga.”

Sowore, reacting to the unveiling of the new jet on Monday, criticised the Tinubu-led administration for prioritising luxury spending over addressing the country’s pressing issues.   He accused Tinubu of buying jets and bulletproof vehicles within his first year in office, despite failing to alleviate the suffering of citizens.

The publisher, activist and politician alleged that Nigerian leaders were more focused on satisfying their interests than resolving the problems facing the nation.   He described the acquisition of the new jet as a symbol of the government’s insensitivity to the plight of Nigerians.

Sowore noted: “Tinubu said one year isn’t enough for Nigerians to enjoy a better country but look at what he bought for himself in just one year: yacht, jet, bulletproof Escalade, mansion for VP. #RevolutionNow.”