A prominent human rights lawyer and counsel to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Ifeanyi Ejiofor, has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to put an end to the monthly media briefings hosted by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, describing them as “wasteful, extravagant, and out of touch with reality.”
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Ejiofor criticised the media engagements as serving no meaningful purpose other than offering the minister a platform for “grandstanding” at the expense of public funds.
“It is unconscionable that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, reportedly spends hundreds of millions of naira monthly on an ostentatious media chat – an exercise that offers little substance and reeks of misplaced priorities,” the statement read.
He argued that at a time when many Nigerians are grappling with skyrocketing inflation, static wages, and deepening poverty, such displays of official extravagance reflect poor judgment and insensitivity.
“Framed as a public engagement, this monthly spectacle is anything but,” Ejiofor said. “It is a tone-deaf misuse of public funds especially in a country where many survive on less than $2 a day, and access to basic healthcare, education, and shelter remains a daily struggle.”
He noted that the funds spent on a single media edition could instead be used to address pressing humanitarian needs.
“The cost of one media edition could fund emergency relief and shelter for thousands displaced by the recent floods in Niger State,” he said. “It could refurbish crumbling primary schools, equip rural clinics, or sustain nutrition programmes in IDP camps for several months.”
Ejiofor added that the optics of the monthly showings are disheartening, while the consequences are even more damaging to public trust in governance.
“Nigerians are not asking for a televised circus,” he said. “Nigerians are crying out for competent governance, prudent spending, and people-centred leadership.”
He called on President Tinubu to intervene without delay.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu must take urgent action: call the FCT Minister to order, halt this wasteful spending, and redirect focus to service delivery,” he said. “This is not a time for flamboyance and fanfare. It is a moment that demands humility, responsibility, and an unwavering commitment to the public good. Nigeria deserves better. The time to act is now.”
The FCT minister, Nyesom Wike, has yet to respond to the allegations at the time of filing this report.
