Hardship: CSOs tells Tinubu, govs to reduce convoy, travel expenses

To further reduce the cost of governance in Nigeria, a coalition of civil societies in Osun State, The Osun Masterminds (TOM), has urged President Bola Tinubu and state governors to reduce their convoys.
Arguing that reducing the number of convoys for only the ministers is not enough to reduce the cost of governance, the group also charged the president and governors with reducing travel expenses to help Nigerians through the present hardship.
In a statement by its Executive Director, Professor Wasiu Oyedokun-Alli, the group said the President’s instruction to Ministers to reduce their convoys to three vehicles would not effectively reduce the cost of governance but should also bring down cost on travels.
According to Oyedokun-Alli, “We appeal to every public office holder to be more empathic with the people by cutting off unnecessary expenses often characterised by needless and avoidable travels particularly in the offices of the President, Vice president and the governors of the states.
“Cutting down on the numbers of official vehicles isn’t the only way by which cost of governance can be brought down. The political class can’t be feeding fat at the expense of the hunger of the people.”
The group also urged Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State to deal with the current hardship by using the increased federal allocation to enhance quality of people’s lives.
He said: “It is deeply disturbing that while the Federal Government is not doing much to alleviate the suffering of the people, the state governments which are now earning increased federal allocations, are also not doing anything to make life easier for their people. In Osun here, instead of pursuing accelerated human development policies, we are busy constructing flyovers, and arguing over inanities.
“The people of Nigeria and Osun deserve to have a better life than the current hardship that they are battling with. Our people deserve to be happy and live in a society where their dreams and aspirations are allowed to thrive.
“We are again calling on the Federal Government and the Osun State Government more importantly, to as a matter of urgency, intensify efforts to free the masses from the shackles of poverty. We must work quickly on eradicating hunger and creating opportunities for our people to make legitimate living.”