ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA) – The recent decision of Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State to appoint 47 media aides has stirred up a storm of criticism and controversy.
The announcement was made on Thursday night through his official Twitter handle, causing an uproar among the public and media circles.
Many have expressed concerns about the size of the appointment and its potential impact on the state’s resources.
As the news spreads, people continue to debate the necessity and implications of such a significant number of media aides for the governor’s administration.
He tweeted: “I’m pleased to constitute my media team.”
The Governor added that “I’m confident that this diverse and talented team will play a crucial role in enhancing our communication efforts and strengthening our public engagement. Together, we’ll work towards achieving our goals and serving the people effectively.”
The development followed approval granted by the Adamawa State House of Assembly to the Governor to appoint 50 special advisers on 6 June 2023.
Fintiri had been lying low since the announcement of Mr Humwashi Wonosikou as press secretary during his inauguration dinner on 29 May.
Fintiri’s inactivity had been blamed on the loss of his cousin, Malama Laraba Mamman, who had died in a road crash while travelling to his inauguration.
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Among those appointed are two Special Advisers, 10 Senior Special Assistants, 34 Special Assistants on Social Media and Content Creation, and one Special Assistant and Master of Ceremonies Government Events.
The announcement immediately drew outrage from netizens who berated the Governor and questioned the rationale for appointing such a large number of persons as media aides.
A tweep, Opeoluwa, described the appointment as an act of fiscal recklessness that must be stopped.
He said: ‘This is why we need TRUE FISCAL FEDERALISM. This is the fiscal recklessness we need to stop. Lagos&SS states will make money for 🇳🇬, states like Adamawa that contribute nothing will use the same money to appoint over 25 members in a media team. Allow Adamawa make&spend its own money.”
Chidi Okereke described the appointees as incompetent fellows who couldn’t advise the governor not to make such post.
“Lmfaoooooooo. The fact that he has all these people in his media team, and they still thought it was a good idea to post this means that they’re all grossly incompetent. Na that one pain me pass 😂😂😂😂,” he wrote.
The same opinion was shared by another tweep who said: “Let’s say you even appointed 47 media aides; announcing it on Twitter shows you’re not reading the room or feeling the pulse of the nation. It’s really a shame. You fell off”
In his comment, another Twitter user @ReneRodrig, said the appointment negates tenets of cutting cost of governance that many Nigerians have been preaching, especially during this austere period.
He tweeted, “Omo cutting of cost of governance in the mud. See as special media adviser long. Is this Job creation??”
According to the 2022 data from the National Bureau of Statistics, with 3.44 million poor people, Adamawa has the 18th poverty rate in Nigeria.