Adamawa Workers Demand EFCC Probe Into ₦6.8 Billion Luxury Trip For Chairmen’s Wives

Tensions are rising in Adamawa State as local government workers and retirees have urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to probe the alleged diversion of ₦6.8 billion for a foreign leadership training program for the wives of council chairmen in Istanbul, Turkey. The development has sparked widespread outrage, with many critics describing the expenditure as both wasteful and insensitive, particularly at a time when pensioners are owed gratuities spanning several years.

Reports indicate that 21 wives of local government chairmen, alongside senior officials from the Ministry of Local Government, departed Nigeria last week for the week-long training in Turkey.

Suleiman Toungo, Chairman of Toungo Local Government and state ALGON chairman, defended the initiative, insisting it was not unusual. “We completed our training two months ago, so I did not see anything wrong with our wives attending a leadership program abroad. They are our wives, and their advice is important. Our focus is on the value of the training, not the cost,” he stated.

However, workers and retirees have criticized the expenditure, labeling it a misuse of public funds.

Abubakar Shehu, a 75-year-old retiree from Yola North LGA, condemned the trip, questioning the constitutional role of local government chairmen’s wives. “What leadership position do they hold? Even the governor’s wife is not required to undergo such training, yet our chairmen of corruption are sending their wives to Istanbul. Democracy is being mocked in Adamawa State,” he said.

Another retired council worker, who requested anonymity, described the initiative as indefensible given the plight of unpaid pensioners. “I was shocked when an ALGON official called me to submit my wife’s name for a visa, informing me she would be traveling to Istanbul for training. That was when I realized such a project was underway,” he revealed.