FCT, Abuja – President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has embarked on 37 foreign trips against 23 Federal Executive Council (FEC) meetings since assuming office on May 29, 2023.
The latest edition of Inside Sources with Laolu Akande raised some questions about what kind of balance is ideal between domestic governance and international diplomacy.
The State House Correspondent at The PUNCH, Stephen Angbulu, highlighted the significant amount of time the nation’s top executives have spent on foreign engagements, raising questions about governance at home.
Angbulu said President Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima have collectively spent 180 days abroad.
He stated this while speaking during the programme on Channels Television on Sunday, February 16, 2025.
“Although the constitution doesn’t necessarily talk about the frequency of the meetings of the Federal Executive Council, it does recognize the Council and its functions. But, it does not state how often the Council should meet,” Angbulu noted.
He said former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2024 prescribed weekly meetings for the Federal Executive Council (FEC) to ensure the efficient processing of government projects and memoranda.
FEC meetings followed a consistent schedule under former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
Angbulu emphasized the ambassadorial nature of the President and Vice President during the extensive foreign travels.
Angbulu also noted the importance of assessing the outcomes of such trips.
Meanwhile, TimesNow.com.ng reported that President Tinubu left Nigeria to participate in the joint Arab-Islamic Summit in Saudi Arabia.
The summit will begin in Riyadh on Monday with a focus on the situation in the Middle East but Tinubu will leave Nigeria.
Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga in a statement on Saturday noted that Tinubu’s attendance is at the invitation of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Source: TimesNow.com.ng
