Onitsha — A social critic, Sir Ifeanyi Ejiofor Esq. (KSC) has accused the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike of spending hundreds of millions of naira monthly on an ostentatious media chat.
He contended that apart from the fact that such an exercise offers little or no substance, it also reeks off misplaced priorities.
In a press statement issued to newsmen via WhatsApp, Ejiofor insisted that it is quite regrettable that as millions of Nigerians battle record inflation, stagnant wages, and deepening poverty, it is unconscionable that Wike is indulging in such a misplaced priority which he framed as a public engagement.
According to Ejiofor in the statement titled: 'extravagance in a time of hardship - President Tinubu must curb FCT Minister Wike's costly media show', "this monthly spectacle is anything but a tone-deaf misuse of public funds - especially in a country where many survive on less than $2 Dollars per day, and access to basic healthcare, education, and shelter remains a daily struggle".
Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | LinkedIn
"To illustrate the waste, Ejiofor continued, the cost of one media edition could fund emergency relief and shelter for thousands displaced by the recent floods in Niger State. It could as well refurbish crumbling primary schools, equip rural clinics, or sustain nutrition programs in IDP camps for several months".
"The optics are disheartening. The implications are worse. Nigerians are not asking for a televised circus - Nigerians are crying out for competent governance, prudent spending, and people-centred leadership".
"President Bola Ahmed Tinubu must take urgent action: call the FCT Minister to order, halt this wasteful spending, and redirect focus to service delivery. This is not a time for flamboyance and fanfare. It is a moment that demands humility, responsibility, and an unwavering commitment to the public good. Nigeria deserves better. The time to act is now", said Ejiofor, a leading counsel to the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPoB.
