Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State on Thursday rose in stout defence of his controversial wedding gifts to hip pop musician, Tuface Idibia, saying the gesture was to reward the musician’s wife for standing by her husband in the face of difficulties.
The governor had come under heavy criticism after he, on Friday, announced a gift of two brand new Toyota Prado SUVs to Tuface and his wife. He also reportedly promised to bankroll an all-expense paid trip for 29 delegates from the state to attend the white wedding of the couple fixed for Dubai, the United Arab Emirate on March 23.
Besides, he also hosted a lavish state dinner in honour of the couples and promised to rehabilitate the Eket-Ibeno Road ahead of the child dedication of Tuface and Annie.
But in a statement by his commissioner for information, Aniekan Umana, on Wednesday, Mr. Akpabio said he only approved a car, and not two, for the couple. He also said he only promised to sponsor 20, and not 29, wedding guests to Dubai for the couple’s white wedding.
The statement reads, “Following spurious and false speculations in the social media concerning the wedding gift by Governor Godswill Akpabio to Mrs. Annie Innocent Idibia, née Macaulay, I wish to state as follows:
“That the Governor of Akwa Ibom State Chief Godswill Akpabio, donated ONE Prado jeep to Mrs. Annie Innocent Idibia, nee Macaulay a daughter of Akwa Ibom State and renowned artist during her traditional marriage at Eket.
“That the State Governor as a token of support for the couple promised to fund the travelin expenses (economy return tickets) for ONLY TWENTY relatives of Mrs. Annie Idibia Macaulay to Dubai, where the couple have chosen to wed.
“That looking carefully at the surrounding events in perspective, Mrs. Annie Idibia, nee Macaulay is a daughter of Akwa Ibom State and the gift of a Prado SUV from her governor is only a gesture of love and goodwill. Her resolve to stand by her husband on his journey right from his days of youthful beginnings to stardom even in the face of challenges was commendable and a true attribute of the Akwa Ibom women.
“That It is however unbecoming that mischief makers and enemies of progress have decided to inflame the social media with incongruous reports that the State Government is sponsoring an
entourage of party supporters to the wedding in Dubai, when in fact the Government is only sponsoring the travel expenses of twenty of her family members at an estimated cost of roughly Three Million Naira (N3,000,000.00) only.
“I wish to therefore urge members of the public to discountenance the misrepresentations made out of a well intentioned act of the governor.”
A self-serving ego trip
The governor had come under a hailstone of condemnation after the donations, and it is unclear whether anyone is impressed by his explanation.
In our earlier story on this matter, many Nigerians believe the gifts were ridiculous.
“This is absolute rubbish”, an apparently angry Mary Udom said. “These (Tuface and wife) are no poor people. I don’t see why Akpabio is doing such a thing. If it were an ordinary man’s wedding, he (Akpabio) won’t even send a gift, talkless of giving cars.”
For Obo Effanga, Governance Manager, Action Aid Nigeria, the governor’s action is embarrassing, as it defeats the purpose for good governance, particularly in the allocation of resources.
“This is very embarrassing indeed! If governance is about being in a position to take decisions in the interest of the people of the state, when a governor allocates public resources to individuals because of their closeness to him, how does this enhance that purpose and the interest of the ordinary citizens in the state, on whose behalf the governor claimed he was making the donation?,” Mr Effanga said.
“This amount could have been enough to do something more useful to the society. It could buy several volumes of books for University of Uyo that has been crying of funding challenges. That amount could sponsor a lot drugs that could be dispensed to citizens free,” he added.
Spokesman for the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, Rotimi Fashakin, said it is such profligate and reckless spending of available resources at their disposal by governors from the Niger Delta region that has made the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, to suffer a long delay at the National Assembly till today.
According to Mr. Fashakin, if it were his personal resources, Mr. Akpabio would not do what he did, but having realised that Akwa Ibom earns a lot, based on 13 percent derivation, he could afford to spend on anything that catches his fancies.
He said, “This type of financial recklessness from governors of oil rich states is another reason militating against the passage of the PIB. The 10 per cent being proposed for the host communities is seen as superfluous if this type of unimaginable imprudence becomes second nature for some of these governors. This type of anti-people expenditure is only symptomatic of a leader that emerged through the subversion of the people’s will and desire.”
For Tope Fasua, an Abuja-based public affairs commentator, such behaviours are clearly as a result of lack of vision by our leaders.
“The Bible says the people perish for lack of vision and knowledge. Akpabio lacks vision, because he is on an ego trip. He thinks he has arrived. But, the truth is that despite the huge oil money that goes to the state every month, the rate of poverty still affects 80 per cent of the population.
“Nobody is thinking about the fact that the price of oil could crash. That is what economists call the tragic choice in Akpabio’s behaviour. All that would unravel soon.”
For Mr. Effanga, a donation of the funds to the University of Uyo would have gone a long way in relieving the university l of its funding constraint, which Vice Chancellor Comfort Ekpo, told the visiting Senate Committee on Education last week is affecting the development of the institution.
“If the amount to be spent on the ego trip to Dubai were to be invested in the provision of books to school libraries, medical facilities in hospitals or boreholes to communities in the state, including the musician’s new wife’s village, many citizens would derive more utilitarian value from the expenditure,” the activist noted.
A profligate governor
Mr. Akpabio is one of Nigeria’s most profligate governors, spending his state funds as if they were his personal wealth.
He is known to move around with huge cash taken from the state coffers, recklessly distributing them to whoever captures his fancy.
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It is painful when our leaders cannot manage our resources for the benefit of all of us.No law in nigeria is confortable for the poor man crying. E.g let the poor go to the market an take a hundred naira crayfish without pay, the judgement is as compare or more than that of our leader that has stollen billion of naira . My beloved unenployed graduate it shall b well in Jesus name.It payback time. God have mercy on us poor graduate youth and our ralative.
ReplyDeleteif 2face and his wife want to go to the moon for the wedding is not the business of the governor .so stop wasting our money because it is not your money.
ReplyDeleteIs this a reason? That Annie stayed by her husband even in the time of difficulties.Is she the only akwaibom woman that has ever done so? crazy
ReplyDeleteWedding is wedding. Which one be white or black wedding. Nigerians too dey like to speak grammar pass oyinbo man.
ReplyDeleteIf the Governor does not know the meaning of 'Misappropriation of public fund', he should look this phrase up in a dictionary. This is the offence he committed and should be charged to court if not now then later after his tenure. He should be made to refund 7 times into the state treasury. The Holy Scripture says that when a thief is caught, he is made to pay back 7 times. Let the Akwa Ibomites take note of this.
ReplyDeleteUr explanation is worse dan the gift itself, shame on u.
ReplyDeleteAsk him, could he have been able to afford buying them a car with his personal money? not to talk of Jeep, and why won't him do worse, knowing fully well that after his tenure the worst in-coming govt could do after probing is to ask him to pay back stipend,if found guilty or given National pardon like the so called ones that have just been cleared now, God will ask you all if citizenry failed to revolt
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing the governor can say to justify this waste of tax payers money that could have been put to better use.
ReplyDeleteAkpabio you have nothing important to say , Whether it is one SUV you bugeted for or two the qus is why should you even give it to them ? whether it is 20 pple you want to sponsor to dubai or 29 , the qus is why should you even habour such thoughts ? Is Ann the first Akwa ibomite to get married ? When Ini Edo got married which aspect did you support her with or is she not a daughter of the soil ???????????? Very soon you will explain to nigerians why you purchased the new cars you just imported into the country , RUBBISH
ReplyDeleteit is just too unfair the way our leaders take us for fools. anyway, may Allah in his infinite mercy help and save us from the hands of those Oga At The TOPPPPPPP.
ReplyDeleteAre you sure the governor hasnt been shagging mrs idibia? Just a thought.
ReplyDeleteHow many able-bodied graduates walk the streets of Akwo-Ibom without jobs. Many have been left without hope of what the future will bring, yet our leaders waste our revenue on stupid ventures. Please those close to the Governor should advise him appropraitely. That wasted fund could have set up many small scale businesses.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what is wrong with these Niger Delta Politicians behaving as if they are the 1st to rule Nigeria. The reason for this profligate spending is untenable. Their major problem is bad leadership. This is clear at the federal level with clueless Jona as the corrupt president messing up our dear country.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what is wrong with these Niger Delta Politicians behaving as if they are the 1st to rule Nigeria. The reason for this profligate spending is untenable. Their major problem is bad leadership. This is clear at the federal level with clueless Jona as the corrupt president messing up our dear country.
ReplyDeleteyr reasons for wasting peoples' money sound more stupid than when u kept yr silence. replace all the funds spent so far on yr senseless gesture. u can sponsor her whole village to the mars for all u care but not with our resources. time is ticking..OGE
ReplyDeleteThe so-called spokesperson should have shamelessly told us that the Governor had never heard of or seen an Akwa-Ibom woman who stood by her man inspite of tribulation, before now, if not, are the others not equally entitled to jeeps as well? what is sauce for the 'goose is sauce for the'gander! Pray, if he intended it to be a personal gift, why did he not use his personal resources? Or is he so poor as to be unable to afford 'a common jeep'? This level of profilgacy by the megalomaniac Governor of AKST is sickening and repulsive!
ReplyDeleteThe explanation has just cleared our doubts. Its pay back time for Mrs. 2face for job(s) welldone while a "miss". I hope other single ladies in A/K and beyond who have patronized the AKSG will equally get their own "PENSION(S)" when they get married.
ReplyDeleteOnly GOD can judge.
ReplyDeletei see nothing wrong with what the Governor did.
ReplyDeleteNigeria is a country that gives attention to only big things, this is not the first time,so why are we so disturbed? Nigerians, this is the one you can see, what about the unseen. Though,it is not a bad idea for the Governor to identify with them. It was an occasion that draws the countries attention to the state. So,it is therefore advisable that the state partake in it.
ReplyDelete