Politicians waste billions on political conferences overseas as Nigerians groan below financial crunch

Knocks over conferences overseas

As Nigerians groan below the nation’s extreme financial crunch, their politicians and high public workplace holders, particularly state governors, have taken to flying to Europe for his or her horse-trading over subsequent 12 months’s basic elections.

For the reason that finish of get together primaries in early June, some politicians have flown to totally different European international locations nearly weekly for strategic conferences and negotiations over the presidential election.

At the very least three of such conferences have been held in London this week, all of which concerned Rivers State governor Nyesom Wike who’s main a riot within the Peoples Democratic Occasion (PDP), arising from the nomination of Atiku Abubakar because the presidential candidate of the get together and his alternative of Delta State governor Ifeanyi Okowa as his operating mate.

The most recent on Thursday noticed Mr Wike and his associates within the PDP, together with Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom and Abia State Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, assembly with Atiku over dinner on the pricy Park Lane Carlton Resort in London.

This got here three days after a gathering between representatives of Atiku and Mr Wike’s group in Port Harcourt resulted in a impasse.

The visitors on the London dinner included Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, who had led Atiku’s delegation to the failed reconciliation assembly of Friday in Port Harcourt.

Earlier than their dinner with Atiku, Mr Wike and his associates additionally on Thursday in London met with former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the presidential candidate of Labour Occasion, Peter Obi.

That assembly got here after the group had met with the presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, on Monday in the identical metropolis.

Accompanying Mr Tinubu to the assembly have been Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and his Ekiti State counterpart, Kayode Fayemi.

Earlier than the most recent collection of conferences in London, Mr Wike’s group was in Turkey in June for what an aide of the governor described as a strategic session, because the disaster between the winner and runner up within the PDP presidential primaries blossomed.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how Mr Wike had shunned an emissary of Atiku, Adamu Waziri, whom the presidential candidate had deployed to the Japanese European nation to hunt viewers with the Rivers governor.

Since June Mr Wike and his associates have been seen in numerous European international locations a number of instances. However they don’t seem to be the one Nigerian politicians concerned within the new political tourism escapades.

Mr Tinubu was internet hosting political conferences in the UK and France even earlier than he introduced his presidential bid early this 12 months, whereas Atiku had additionally been internet hosting his in Dubai the place he relocated after his defeat within the 2019 presidential election.

ALSO READ: EXCLUSIVE: Wike provides Atiku situation for negotiation at London assembly

The politicians are indulging in these escapades regardless of the excessive prices in onerous currencies, on account of the collapse of the worth of the naira.

As allocations from the Federation Account shrinks, many state governments are relying on loans and bailouts from the Federal Authorities to pay salaries whereas largely defaulting in fee of pensions to retired staff.

A report final month by The Nation newspapers confirmed that the majority the 36 states of the federation have a backlog of pension and gratuities to clear.

Based on the report, aside from owing retired staff 20 12 months gratuities and 38 month pensions, Mr Ikpeazu’s Abia State Authorities has additionally not paid lecturers in Abia State College (ABSU) for 10 months and people within the State Polytechnic for 30 months, whereas Benue, Lagos, Ekiti and Adamawa are amongst states additionally owing big quantities of gratuities.

Nigerian state governors normally move the payments for his or her political actions to their states, largely drawing lots of of thousands and thousands of naira from their treasuries to cowl the prices of air tickets, resort lodging and looking for themselves, aides and political hangers on.

This has led to many Nigerians on social media and information platforms decrying the event. Reacting to a report by The Punch on the assembly of Thursday between Atiku and Mr Wike, a commentator, Lanre wrote:

“What are these folks doing in London, for pete’s sake? The price of lodging at The Carlton, Jumeirah the place these guys are is about =N=500,000.00 per night time. These are usually not leaders however sellers.”