The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has urged state governments to emulate President Bola Tinubu’s recent directive to reduce the size of official convoys for ministers and top government executives, aimed at cutting the cost of governance.
Chairman of RMAFC, Dr. Muhammad Bello, commended the president in a press release on Sunday, noting that cutting government expenses would help address national problems like infrastructure gaps, joblessness, and insecurity.
Bello said that the ongoing issue of costly governance in Nigeria has hindered the government’s ability to provide essential services and encourage sustainable development, affecting public funds.
He encouraged every government level to enforce cost-efficient strategies to guarantee optimal utilization of resources for the welfare of the people.
Bello noted that President Tinubu’s selection is a significant step in reducing the cost of governance, impacting investment, industrial growth, and public service delivery adversely.
He added that the high costs of operating the Nigerian government are impacted by multiple factors like large bureaucracies, duplicated MDAs, and widespread corruption.
“The Commission has repeatedly stressed that Nigeria’s governance expenses are among the highest in Sub-Saharan Africa, hindering the government’s ability to focus on core responsibilities like infrastructure, healthcare, and education,” Bello added.
RMAFC urged the federal and state governments to promptly implement key reforms, including the Orosanye report, which recommends merging redundant MDAs to streamline governance. Bello also called for reducing political appointees, as outlined in the commission’s remuneration package for public officeholders, and ensuring prudent spending across all tiers of government.
The commission stressed that only through such reforms can the country overcome the financial strain caused by excessive governance costs.
Bello added that the importance of all branches of government sharing the responsibility for cutting down on unnecessary spending.
He stated that the participation of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches in excessive expenditures is concerning and needs to be dealt with to achieve financial equilibrium.
RMAFC restated its commitment to promoting fiscal responsibility, calling on both federal and state governments to implement policies that enhance the effectiveness of public expenditure and promote long-term development.
The statement called for better governance at every level to boost the country’s development, draw in investments, and improve the well-being of Nigerian people