A human rights lawyer and counsel for the Indigenous People of Biafra, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, has called on President Bola Tinubu to stop the monthly media chat of the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, describing it as wasteful and extravagant.
In a press statement released on Tuesday, Ejimofor said the media chat serves no purpose except to waste public funds and give the minister the opportunity to grandstand on national issues.
He expressed concern over the huge allocation of hundreds of millions of naira each month to finance the FCT minister’s media appearances.
He said it is lamentable and unconscionable, coming in the face of millions of Nigerians battling record inflation, stagnant wages, and deepening poverty, describing it as an exercise that offers little substance and reeks of misplaced priorities.
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.”
