President Muhammadu Buhari has told the 36 ministers-designate expected to be sworn in on Wednesday that they cannot have long convoy of vehicles and retinue of political aides.
The President gave the directive to the appointees at the two-day retreat organised for them at the Presidential Villa Abuja.
One of the appointees, Dr. Chris Ngige, a former Governor of Anambra State, who briefed state house correspondents after the retreat Friday, said the directive followed the dwindling finances of the nation.
According to him: “Yes (it will be) a lean economy because we are going to block areas of leakages.
“Retinue of aides, protocol staff, large convoys of cars are things that will not fly in this administration.
“So, we need to actually restructure the political and social moment of the country and that is what we are going to do. That means poverty will reduce,” Ngige said.
President Buhari is yet to assign portfolios to the appointees.
Ngige also spoke on the President’s revelation that some ministers will not be assigned portfolios.
His words: “If you have portfolio or if you don’t have portfolio, it is one single Federal Executive Council.
“You bring whatever it is on the table.
“That is not a problem at all.
“We have a right to discuss things around the ministries because it is one single cabinet.
“The important thing is that we want to move our people from where they are now.
“There is abject poverty, which concerns about 75 per cent of the populace.
“So, we need to actually restructure the political and social construct of the country and that is what we are going to do.
“That means poverty will reduce.”
