Thelma Osatohanmwen
Hon Ibrahim Olanrewaju, the Senior Special Adviser on National Assembly Matters to President Bola Tinubu has attributed excessive government expenses to pressure from the general public.
The SSA stated this on Tuesday in Ado-Ekiti at a quarterly roundtable discussion on “Nigeria’s Democracy: Desirability of cutting the cost of governance”, organized by the Broadcasting service of Ekiti State (BSES) chapel of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ekiti state council.
Olanrewaju highlighted public pressure on government officials and politicians as the cause of excessive expenses in the government circle.
He emphasized the necessity of cutting unreasonable costs of governance for national development, stating that pressure from the public often leads officials to respond with excessive borrowing.
His words, “Pressure from people makes those government officials to want to take from purse of the nation, this in turn affects the cost of government as there’s nothing to show after years of service.”
He pointed out the disproportionate spending on civil servants’ salaries compared to capital projects, with a significant portion of the national wealth allocated to a small percentage of the population.
Olanrewaju stressed the importance of collaboration between the government and the media in strengthening democracy and addressing economic challenges.
“Our expectations from politicians sometimes is outrageous and most citizens rate them by what they can see and get and they in turn feel pressured to perform.
“Journalists should respect themselves. They should redirect the minds of the people and their expectations, sense of entitlement should be reduced.”
He further stressed on prioritizing quality over quantity when choosing government officials as it can also lead to cutting cost of governance.
In his remark, Ekiti NUJ Chairman, Comrade Babatuyi Kayode, commended the leadership of the BSES Chapel and their commitment towards organising such discussion.
He echoed the sentiment of the speaker, acknowledging the pressure from the public on government officials due to perceived benefits only when they are in power and lack of accountability on the part of the government officials.
He called for collaborative efforts to establish a better democracy aimed at minimizing the cost of governance amid economic challenges, fostering transparency, and promoting sustainable economic growth.
On his part, the commissioner for information in Ekiti State, Hon Taiwo Olatunbosun, represented by Biodun Olajide beckoned on journalists and other participants of the program to work together in their various organizations to help in free flow of duties in order to cut cost of governance in the state.