‘Expose Buhari’s ministers if they fly first-class’

The senator representing Bayelsa East, Mr. Ben Murray-Bruce, on Tuesday urged the soon-to-be-inaugurated President Muhammadu Buhari’s ministers to embark on cost-saving measures.

The inauguration of the ministers-designate will take place on Wednesday.

A minister-designate, Senator Chris Ngige, had on Friday disclosed that members of the soon-to-be constituted Federal Executive Council would serve without some perks of office associated with past government officials.

He said ministers would not operate with huge retinues of aides and long convoy of vehicles.

Speaking at the end of a two-day presidential retreat organised for ministers-designate by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Ngige said it was the desire of the present administration to block all leakages in the economy.

He said, “We shall operate a lean economy because we are going to block areas of leakages, retinues of aides, protocol staff. Large convoys of cars are things that will not fly in this administration.

“The important thing is that we want to move our people from where they are now; they are in abject poverty, a situation that affects about 75 per cent of the populace.

“So, we need to actually restructure the political and social structures of the country and that is what we are going to do. That means poverty will reduce.”

But Murray-Bruce, the founder of an entertainment conglomerate, the Silverbird Group, in a series of tweets, asked his followers to expose any minister caught flying first-class or riding in long convoy of cars.

He said, “Let’s monitor Buhari’s ministers. If you see them flying first-class, take a picture; send to me. Silverbird TV will air it.

“If you see Buhari’s ministers with excessively long convoys, take a picture and send to me. If you see ministers abusing power (beat red light, security harassing citizens), send to me.”