Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has come under fire for splashing N10 million each on Grammy award winner, Burna Boy and other Nigerian artistes, despite owing public school teachers up to five years’ salary arrears.
The governor’s donation comes a week after the public school teachers protested in Port Harcourt, the state capital, where they told journalists that they have lost about ten of their colleagues due to the hardship experienced within the period.
Wike on Saturday gifted the said amount to the artistes for performing at a homecoming party in Port Harcourt organised in Burna Boy’s honour by the Rivers State Government.
“Those of you who have come to play, whatever you have agreed with the ministry of culture and tourism is not my business.
“All of you that have come today and the Niger Delta people that have come to play today to show the talent you have, I’m very proud of you. All of you will go home with N10million each,” Wike said.
Describing the Rivers state-born Burna Boy as a pride of the state, Wike added that “there is no Rivers person that will say he or she is not happy with the kind of pride you’ve brought us. I am very happy and I can tell you, whatever you think we can do to promote you, we will continue to do it”.
“You’ve done us proud and we owe you a duty to show you love. Wherever you are, your people appreciate you,” he added.
Responding, Burna Boy said he was deeply grateful and incredibly humbled by the reception by the government.
“I really appreciate being here. This is probably the biggest honour that will be bestowed on me since I was born. It is one thing to win the Grammy and to be applauded everywhere else in the world and another thing to be loved in your own home and that to me is worth more than anything I can get. So, I appreciate you my governor for taking your time out to do this,” he said.
