As Nigerians continue to lament the economic hardship they face due to the policies implemented under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, some top government officials have been revealed to have embarked on lavish foreign trips.

In a memo obtained by SaharaReporters, some appointees were recorded to have travelled to and from the country using a VIP flight.

The list is as follows:

On October 13, 2024: 53-year-old Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, departed Geneva, Switzerland onboard Lufthansa Air. His flight number LH595 departed Abuja around 10:20pm.

In the memo, Alhaji Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, arrived at the Abuja airport from Rwanda on a RwandAir flight (WB220X) at approximately 11:39 am.

October 14, 2024: 64-year-old Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development Muhammad Abdullahi Tijjani Gwarzo arrived in Abuja from Frankfurt, Germany, aboard a Lufthansa flight (LH594) at 4:32 pm.

October 14, 2024: 49-year-old Minister of Art, Culture and Creative Economy Hannatu Musa Musawa departed Abuja airport for Algeria onboard Egypt Air at 12:40 pm on a flight numbered MS 877X.

According to sources, all four officials, including the House of Representatives’ Speaker, travelled on diplomatic passports.

It was reported that top government appointees are still enjoying lavish foreign trips for questionable reasons while the country faces financial challenges. Many express concerns over the government’s priorities, revealing that these officials enjoy special treatment and receive substantial travel allowances.

Sources claim that the officials’ monthly allowances are paid in millions of dollars annually, partly driving the excessive foreign trips.

This has sparked uproar among the masses, who are continuously told to be patient and endure the hardship while top government personnel enjoy lavish trips.

It was recently disclosed that President Bola Tinubu spent over N2.3 billion on foreign trips in just six months, between February and July 2024. Analysis from GovSpend, an affiliation of BudgIT, revealed that between February 21 and July 19, 2024, Tinubu spent N2,346,623,000 on foreign trips.

Since President Tinubu assumed office on May 29, 2023, and announced the removal of fuel subsidies, Nigerians have complained about the hike in fuel prices, increase in food costs, inflation, floating naira, and intense suffering, among other crises.

The living standards for many Nigerians have declined, with former governors and former heads of state continuing to lament the country’s current predicament.

BS