Tension is mounting in Adamawa State following a controversial N6.8 billion foreign training programme that has seen the wives of all 21 local government chairmen and top Ministry of Local Government officials flown to Istanbul, Turkey, for a leadership training tour.
The trip, which took place last week, has drawn widespread criticism from local government workers and retirees, some of whom have now called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to probe what they described as a gross misuse of public funds.
Confirming the trip, Chairman of Toungo Local Government and state chairman of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria, Suleiman Toungo, defended the programme.
“We did our training two months ago, so I did not see anything wrong in our wives going for training outside the country,” he said.
“They are our wives, and we need their advice. We are looking at the importance of training our wives outside the country on leadership, not the cost,” he added.
However, many within the state see the trip as a tone-deaf decision, especially at a time when some retired local government workers have reportedly not received their gratuities for several years.
Critics argue that the trip reflects a lack of sensitivity on the part of the government to the economic hardship faced by the populace and retired civil servants.
A 75-year-old retiree from Yola-North Local Government Area, Abubakar Shehu, condemned the trip, describing it as a mockery of democracy and a misuse of public funds.
“What is the leadership position of local government chairmen’s wives? The wife of the governor is not trained in leadership, but our chairmen of corruption are sponsoring their wives to Istanbul for training. Democracy is mocked in Adamawa State,” he said.
Another retired local government employee, who requested anonymity, called on Governor Ahmadu Fintiri to take immediate action and allow the EFCC to investigate the matter thoroughly.
“I was sleeping at night when I received a call from one of the ALGON officials that I should send my wife’s name for a visa, and that she would be travelling to Istanbul for training. That was when I became aware of such a project,” he said.
The incident has triggered public outcry and calls for accountability, with stakeholders urging the state government to redirect such funds toward addressing the welfare of workers and retirees rather than luxury training trips abroad.
