By Tabora Bojang
The 2025 budget estimates include a proposal to spend D50 million on the annual meet-the-people tour of the president.
This represents a D20 million increase from the D30 million approved for the 2024 tour, which the president is currently embarking.
The Constitution empowers the president to embark on a nationwide tour to engage citizens on government’s programs, policies and priorities as well as hear from the people.
But critics said it has long been a subject of abuse and partisan politics by the incumbent.
Reacting to this proposed increment, Central Baddibu lawmaker Sulayman Saho described it as “unacceptable.”
“This is ironical. While the tour, which is meant for the president to meet the farmers, hear their concerns and find ways to address them, is getting more and more money. The same government is refusing to increase the price for groundnut for the same farmers. How can you increase the president’s budget on a tour meant to help farmers but you made no increment on the farmers’ earnings? It would have been better for the president to take that D50 million and invest it on the farmers instead of himself. I totally condemn this D50 million increase and I will call on my fellow NAMs to do the needful when considering these estimates and make sure the amount is slashed and be put into critical sectors that need it the most,” Saho told The Standard yesterday.
Approving the budget for the president’s tour is one of the controversial provisions that spark division among lawmakers.
When the budget for the tour was called for consideration during the committee of supply stages last year, NAM Sulayman Saho proposed a motion for it to be pegged at D15million to help lower “budget deficit and avoid insensitive spending.”
But majority of lawmakers disputed his motion, arguing that the tour is a constitutional mandate and reducing its budget may restrict the president from exercising his constitutional responsibilities. It was then put to vote with 15 NAMs wanting a reduction while 26 voted for the sum to remain at D30 million.
The new budget before the Assembly today is proposing D50 million.
