New ministers will not get large convoys, staff

President Muhammadu Buhari’s new ministers will not have a retinue of aides, protocol
and large convoys, one of the minister-designates has disclosed.
Chris Ngige, a former governor of Anambra state, linked the cutting down on retinue to
“lean economy”.

"Yes, 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,” he
said.
His comments came at the end of a two-day retreat for the new ministers organised by
the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
Lean government
Buhari had, while declaring the retreat open on Thursday, told the ministers-designate
that his administration would make running of government as lean as possible by
avoiding waste and conserving resources.
He told them he expected them to be more determined to work as a team and live up
to the high standards of probity and integrity expected by Nigerians.
"You (ministers-designate) are coming on board the ship of governance at an
interesting time. So much has been said about the state of our economy. It is expected
that we make the running of government at all levels as lean as possible, avoid waste
and conserve resources. As ministers, you must be the vehicle that will administer the
change.”
The theme of the retreat, which was held at the Old Banquet Hall of the Aso Rock
Presidential Villa in Abuja, was "Delivering Change: From Precepts to Practice”.
No portfolio, no problem
Fielding questions from journalists, Ngige, also stated that it was not a problem if a
minister had no portfolio in the administration of President Buhari.
According to him, it is one single cabinet and all ministers have a right to discuss
issues around ministries.
"No, no, no. If you have portfolio, 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, they
are in abject poverty which concerns about 75 percent of the populace. 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.
The two-day ministerial retreat was held behind closed-doors and it ended with no
communique issued.