Some financial experts have urged the federal government to exhibit genuine leadership traits in the implementation of the Oronsaye report on the cost of governance.
They said this in separate interviews with journalists in Lagos on Tuesday.
Their reactions followed President Bola Tinubu’s directive for the full implementation of the report.
The president had constituted an implementation committee on the merger and dissolution, among others, within 12 weeks, according to Presidential Special Adviser on Policy Coordination, Hadiza Bala-Usman.
The national coordinator of the Independent Shareholders Association of Nigeria (ISAN), Moses Igrude, said the government should exhibit character while carrying out the presidential directive.
“More deliberate effort should be made to reduce the urgency of foreign travel, especially by political office holders.
“Issues that are not constitutional should not attract public funds because they are quite detrimental to our fiscal revenues,” Mr Igbrude said.
He noted that the federal government should entrench fiscal discipline to curb financial profligacy.
This, according to Mr Igbrude, would put an end to waste while diverting such funds to economic development projects.
Also speaking, former president of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), Okechukwu Unegbu, advised the government to reduce the cost of governance before the full implementation of the reform.
“The current federal government should reduce its elaborate cabinet to show commitment and dedication, while political office holders must reduce their ostentatious lifestyle,” Mr Unegbu said.
He noted that the political class could not be living in affluence while the government was proposing civil service reforms that might lead to job losses.
Mr Unegbu added that the civil service reforms were ill-timed because of the current distortion in the economy.
“The government must give priority to the cost of living crisis and insecurity challenges that are having a negative impact on our people.”
(NAN)