Kanyi Okeke
Wife of Benue State governor Mrs Yemisi Suswam in a move that highlights the waste and profligacy attitude of those in power have recently marked her 45th birthday by distributing customized bottles of designer perfumes to poor women in Benue state.
Mrs. Suswam clocked 45 on May 2nd with a grand party that took place in different parts of the state. She rounded off celebrations by handing customized designer perfumes branded “Yemsus 45″ to poor rural women who could barely afford three meals in a day.
Her flamboyant birthday splash has generated so much anger and condemnation in the state. Many of the women who benefitted from this “gift” are poor women farmers who have not been able to access fertilizers for the past 18 months as the products meant for farmers were diverted elsewhere with the active connivance of her husband and governor of Benue state, Gabriel Suswam.
A social critic in the state, Mike Atime said “It’s totally wrong for the governor’s wife to use public funds for such senseless display of wealth. The first lady’s advisers have failed her. We must all condemn this.”
Benue is one of the poorest states in Nigeria in terms of physical and human development. The Bureau of statistics rank Benue as the 8th poorest state in Nigeria, with some of the highest unemployment rates.
The local governments, closest to people at the grassroots level have been hijacked and turned to into cash-cow by the government of Mr. Suswam. Funds meant for the LGAs in the state are constantly raided by the governor while the pilfered funds are then used to feed disgusting lifestyles of not just the governor and his wife, but also their cronies.
