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Only in Nigeria: States Spent 35M Naira Over Yar’Adua’s Birthday

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Posted by: Guest Author on July 23, 2008 Under: Community Report, Editor's Pick, Nigeria

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The Daily Trust reports how some state governors spent some $300,000 USD publishing congratulatory messages for the Nigerian president on his birthday. But they got the date wrong!

Over N35 million taxpayers’ money was spent by state governors, ministers and lawmakers sponsoring advert messages congratulating President Umaru Musa Yar’adua on his 57th birthday in national dailies, only to discover that the president was not born on July 9, as the over 100 coloured paged messages implied…

The national dailies began the publication of the congratulatory messages on Wednesday 9 and continued up to the Tuesday 15 when a national daily reported the fake birthday story. The confusion, Weekly Trust investigations revealed, was escalated by the government image maker and Minister of Information and Communications, Mr. John Odey, who also placed a congratulatory message to the president on behalf of his family and the ministry he is supervising on Wednesday the 9th.

Only in Nigeria!

On the web: Yar’adua’s birthday confusion: State govts blew over N35m

Hat-tip Ijebuman’s diary.

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5 comment(s)

  1. Misi | Jul 23, 2008 | Reply

    This is really wasteful. Are our leaders really this clueless? Teachers are on strike, healthcare providers will soon join them, nothing is functioning in Nigeria and the best the States and Ministers could do was waste money on stupid birthday congratulatory messages to the president which happens to be on the wrong date. These people need their heads checked.

  2. Bunmi A. | Jul 24, 2008 | Reply

    For real…Only in Nigeria! It’s bad enough they waste all that money – then they get the date wrong too – how did that happen? I just hope that they won’t come up with the “bright” idea of reprinting on that actaul day, ‘cos I know that won’t be free.

  3. Seleipiri | Jul 28, 2008 | Reply

    This is madness. 35 million naira would buy a substantial number of microscopes and other much needed science equipments for the Univeristy of port harcourt(Sorry thats where i went, and trust me histology slide viewing was not fun,with 50 of us attached to an old malfunctioning microscope). Iis it not just plain wrong that all that money went and it was not even his right birthday. Oh Dear!!!!!!!

  4. Omotaylor | Jul 29, 2008 | Reply

    Nigeria I hail thee and add that for every death of an innocent child, man or woman due to the shame called Nigerian hospitals, Nigerian roads and Nigerian NEPA, etc, may a new nail be driven down the coffin of the looters and wasters of our nation’s wealth. For bringing international and national shame on the name Nigeria through such foolish actions may they descend into ignominy i.e. those who are wanton destroyers of our dear country Nigeria. Sorry for sounding so harsh but some things make my blood boil…

  5. tijjani | Dec 21, 2008 | Reply

    go to hell nigerian leaders for doing such a bad thing

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