Secret Reporters No place to hide
Secret Reporters
Following Akwa United Football Club of Uyo’s qualification to play in the final of the AITEO Cup in Lagos, the feat was greeted with optimism by sports loving citizens of the state who applauded the team’s achievement of reaching the national FA Cup final (renamed AITEO Cup) for the second time in 3years.
As usual,since the advent of the Udom Emmanuel administration, large number of government officials numbering up to 200, were sponsored by the state government to witness the final match held at the Agege Stadium in Lagos.
From journalists, friends and family members of government officials, money from the state coffers was used to transport and entertain every single one of them throughout their stay in Lagos.
The match held on a Sunday, and more than half of the delegation left on Friday and were lodged in expensive hotels from Friday till Sunday and flown from the Akwa Ibom International Airport down to Lagos.
A sneak-peek at the cost of flying from Uyo to Lagos is about 35,000 per individual. Including hotel bills and accommodation, the state government spent upwards of 100,000 per individual.
Definitely, the quality of hotel each individual lodges in varies depending on your status with the least room going for 20,000 per night.
Following investigations made by our reporter, allowances were handed out to each member of the delegation with the least amount being 10,000 (also depends on the individual’s status).
After summing up the expected total sum spent by the government for the final match, it’s discovered the State government spent more than 20,000,000.
In a state where pensioners are being owed backlog of pension and gratuity dating back to 2013, one would’ve hoped that the state governor would curb his reckless spending habit and seek to improve the lives of its impoverished citizens.
Having received two tranches of the Paris Club refund from the Federal Government, there’s no evidence of the monies being ploughed back to better the lives of the masses,rather the governor choose to embark on fruitless adventures like the AITEO Cup final debacle.
To lessen the grief of the citizens, the Transformation Boys, as the team is fondly called, recorded a victory via penalty shootout, but that does not in anyway ameliorate the sufferings of the common man on the street.
