Tinubu to critics: I won’t reduce my cabinet size

President Bola Tinubu on Monday unequivocally responded to critics who described his cabinet as “bloated” by saying he is unprepared to reduce the size of his 48-man cabinet.

“I am not ready to shrink” the size of my cabinet, Tinubu said during a media chat at his Bourdillon residence in the highbrow Ikoyi area of Lagos State.

“I am not prepared to bring down the size of my cabinet,” the former Lagos governor said, arguing that “efficiency” has been at the core of his selection of ministers.

The president also said he has no regret removing the petrol subsidy in May 2023, saying Nigeria cannot continue to be Father Christmas to neighbouring countries.

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“I don’t have any regrets whatsoever in removing petrol subsidy. We are spending our future, we were just deceiving ourselves, that reform was necessary,” he told reporters.

Tinubu appointed 48 ministers in August 2023, three months after his inauguration. The Senate immediately screened and confirmed the ministers. One of the ministers, Betta Edu, was suspended in January while another, Simon Lalong, moved to the Senate.

There were calls for the President to reshuffle his cabinet as many Nigerians have not been impressed by the performance of some of the ministers, especially in the face of unprecedented inflation, excruciating economic situation and rising insecurity.

In October 2024, Tinubu re-assigned 10 ministers to new ministerial portfolios and appointed seven new ministers for Senate confirmation. He also sacked five of his ministers but critics insist that the President’s cabinet remains large, especially with the creation of a Livestock Ministry with a minister.

Tinubu to critics: I won’t reduce my cabinet size

Tinubu: Food stampede incidents, grave error 

..Don’t publicise gifts distribution if you don’t have enough

President Bola Tinubu has described the recent three stampede incidents during distribution of relief materials to children and others as a grave error.

He told people to be more organised and stay away from giving palliative or publicity of the giving if they had insufficient materials.

He stated this during his first presidential media chat on Monday.

The President said he had been sharing palliatives in his Lagos residence for 25 years without any incident and blamed the recent food stampedes in the country on poor organisation.

A total of 35 children died on December 18 during a stampede that happened at a funfair event in Ibadan, Oyo State.

10 people, including children, also died on December 21 in another stampede at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in the Maitama district of Abuja during the distribution of palliatives.

Another 22 people were reported dead during a rice distribution event at Amaranta Stadium in Ojika, Ihiala LGA, on the same day.

“It’s unfortunate and very sad, but we will continue to learn from our mistakes. I see this as a grave error on the part of the organisers,” he said.

But the President insisted that the incidents should not dampen the “happiness of the season”.

“It is very sad that people are not well organised. We just have to be more disciplined in our society. Condolences to those who lost members, but it is good to give,” Tinubu said.

“I’ve been giving out foodstuff and commodities, including envelopes in Bourdillon, for the last 25 years, and I’ve never experienced this kind of incident because we are organised and disciplined.

“If you know you won’t have enough to give, don’t attempt to give or publicise it.”

The President compared the situation to food banks in countries such as the United States of America (USA) and Britain, noting their structured approach.

“Every society, even in America, has food banks. They have hungry people. In Britain, they have food banks and warehouses, and they are organised. They take turns m lining up and collect,” he added.

Tax reforms pro-poor, here to stay, says Tinubu

President Bola Tinubu has said the tax reforms initiated by his administration are here to stay.

He stated this during the presidential media chat on Monday, adding that the new tax deal is pro-poor people.

Tinubu also said the tax reforms were initiated to “eliminate colonial-based assumptions” in the country’s tax environment.

Nigeria, he said, would not continue to use old methods in today’s economy.

The President said those calling for more consultations on the tax reform bills would still do so even if he delayed the presentation.

“Tax reform is here to stay. In today’s economy, we cannot continue to do what we were doing in the past. We can’t retool with old and broken folks,” he said.

“The essence of tax reform is to eliminate colonial-based assumptions in our tax environment

“Every tax situation without outcry is not a tax. You can’t satisfy uniformly the largest community of tax evaders. Look at this tax reform; it is pro-poor. The vulnerable are not to pay taxes.

“The hallmark of a good leader is the ability to do what you have to do at the time it ought to be done. That is my philosophy.”