Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, the executive governor of Adamawa state, has appointed 47 media aides amid calls for public officeholders in Nigeria to cut down on the cost of governance.
Announcing the appointment of his media team via social media, the governor stated that two of them would be his special adviser on media and strategy, while ten would work as his special assistants.
The governor then announced 35 people as his special assistants on social media and content creation.
Among them is one Hamanbello Idris, who was named as the special assistant, Master of Ceremony Government Events.
The announcement by the governor has sparked outrage among Nigerians, who accused the state chief executive of being insensitive when citizens are struggling to make ends meet.
Abbey Taiwo says Nigeria’s ruling class are testing the resolve of ordinary Nigerians with their insensitive decisions.
He wrote:
”Media team alone; 45 people, not a ministry. With the scarce resources and a lot of work to be done: why these needless overhead expenditures at the expense of downtrodden masses? The ruling class are pushing the masses to the wall, and it won’t end well.
Chioma Agwuegbo, a feminist, says the numbers are much. She wrote:
”Forty-seven adults for one governor’s media team. Forty-seven o, including 35 people for content creation. How much will be left to govern the state after catering to 10 senior special assistants and 35 special assistants? In these times? Ah.”
Ibrahim Shuwa wrote:
”It’s astonishing that just one governor has 10 SSAs and 35 SAs, all to be funded by taxpayers, while it’s the poor who are expected to make sacrifices. We are not serious.”
Douglas Agbo says such decisions triggered a military takeover in the neighbouring Niger Republic.
His words:
”You see these people, very heartless and tone deaf! In a state where 75% of the people are living in abject poverty this moron is more interested in laundering his image than addressing the real issues. Niger, when is it the turn of Nigeria, please?”
Recall that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu recently sent 47 names as potential ministers to the Nigerian Senate.
