A human rights lawyer and counsel to the Indigenous People of Biafra, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, wants President Bola Tinubu to call his minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Ezenwo Nyesom Wike to order over his monthly media chat which he described as ostentatious and a waste of public funds and must be stopped.
Dismissing the regular media parley as a misplaced priority against the backdrop of deepening poverty and record inflation in the country, Ejiofor said it is unconscionable that Wike reportedly spends hundreds of millions of naira monthly on “an ostentatious media chat – an exercise that offers little substance and reeks of misplaced priorities”.
Newsmata.com.ng reports that in a press statement on Tuesday, the IPOB lawyer argued that the media chat serves no purpose, stressing that this is not a time for “flamboyance and fanfare”.
The statement read in part: “As millions of Nigerians battle record inflation, stagnant wages, and deepening poverty, it is unconscionable that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, reportedly spends hundreds of millions of naira monthly on an ostentatious media chat – an exercise that offers little substance and reeks of misplaced priorities.
“Framed as a public engagement, this monthly spectacle is anything but a tone-deaf misuse of public funds – especially in a country where many survive on less than $2 a day, and access to basic healthcare, education, and shelter remains a daily struggle.
“To illustrate the waste: The cost of one media edition could fund emergency relief and shelter for thousands displaced by the recent floods in Niger State. It could 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.”