26 Jan 2009 |
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LG Funds: Boss Places Congratulatory Advert on Wedding of Yar’Adua’s Daughter By Economic Confidential When many local areas are crying for developments, in what may sound like a Mother-of-all-congratulatory-message, a Chairman of a Local Government Council in Nigeria has placed a full page advertorial in national media to congratulate President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua over the wedding of his daughter in Katsina to the Governor of Bauchi State. President Yar’Adua has often banned any placement of congratulatory message in the media on him, especially on birthday from public officers. His warning seems to be ignored at the local level. The wedding ceremony on Saturday, according to findings of the Economic Confidential was not devoid of extravagant displays of opulence going by the extremely lavished spending from sides of the families of the groom, the bride and their well-wishers as many chartered aircrafts jam-packed the Katsina Airport. The situation forced other airlines, according to a report, which included Boeing 747, carrying 500 passengers to return without landing. The gift items and the calibre of personalities at the event were unprecedented that may remain the talk of the town for a very long time. Former Nigeria's Presidents, governors, ministers, legislators, chief executives of financial institutions, business moguls and other top public functionaries were all in attendance. The most bizarre felicitation over the latest wedding of Yar’Adua’s daughter to another governor was public announcement placed by some politicians and public officers in the electronic media. While most of the local government councils in Nigeria complain over their inability to execute projects and developmental programs for the benefit of the people due to little resources and revenue from the Federation Account, Chairman of Daura Local Government Council in Katsina State took a full-colour advert with Nigeria’s Coat of Arm, where he wrote that “On behalf of the council, management and staff, I Honourable Aminu Manzo, Chairman Daura Local Government Council, Katsina State hereby joyfully rejoice with the first family, President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Her Excellency Hajiya Turai Umaru Musa Yar’Adua on the big day of their daughter, Hajiya Nafisatu and his Excellency, Executive Governor of Bauchi State, Mallam Isa Yuguda on their wedding ceremony this Saturday, January 24th 2009 in Katsina.” The advert has the picture of President, his wife and that of the chairman of Daura Local Government strategically positioned in prepaid message. Manzo who is the Chairman of the local government of General Muhammad Buhari, who contested with Yar’Adua during the last presidential election, adds that: “This historic marriage is no doubt an eloquent testimony to your commitment to politics without bitterness, progress and unity of Nigeria.” Some people from the local government council are already planning to protest the reckless expenditure of their Chairman in what one of them wrote to the Economic Confidential as a naked sycophantic expenditure that doesn’t add value to the people and the council. A youth leader in Daura town condemned the assertion of the local government boss in the advert which states What annoyed most of the youths who spoke to Economic Confidential in Daura is a statement in the advert where the Chairman said “We, as people and government are proud to be associated with your Excellencies on this memorable milestone.” The youths wonder any need for felicitation for President dashing out his beautiful young daughters to polygamous-rich men instead of offering them to single young men who have bright future. According to a youth leader in the town, Kabiru Isiaku, the amount of money spent for a full page advert in a national newspaper which is about N500,000, could be used to address some problems of youths in the council like drug abuse, payment of school fees and poverty. Isiaku, who is an unemployed graduate said that “had it been Yar’ Adua gave his daughter to a poor young man instead of a millionaire governor who already has three other wives at home that could called for commendation but not to the level of placing an advert in newspapers.” Another resident who craved anonymity simply told Economic Confidential that that “We now know how our Local governments spend our money from the internally generated revenue and Joint State Local Government Account when we don’t see anything on the ground.” A civil servant in Abuja who was also at the wedding observed that: "Manzo is a lesser sinner if we compare contributions made by many other local government councils towards the ceremony and funds budgeted by other arms of government for the success of the wedding of the President's daughter. Why blaming a bloody local government chairman for spending little compared to millions if not billions by state governors and other public officers?" The preference of Yar’Adua’s daughters to marry polygamous and rich politicians, like governors in the present dispensation has become the subject of intense debates not only in Katsina State where the President comes from but also across the country. Last year, the nation witnessed the wedding of one of his daughters to Governor of Kebbi State. From all indication more governors may be on the queue to benefit from this matrimonial generosity of the president's family. Source: www.economicconfidential.com
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