CHRICED slams Adamawa State officials over extravagant Istanbul trip

Resource Center for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED) expressed deep outrage over the scandalous decision by Adamawa State Local Government officials to sponsor a luxury trip to Istanbul, Turkey, under the pretence of “leadership training.”

According to the Communication Officer, CHRICED, Furera Isiaka, the delegation comprised the wives of 21 Local Government Chairmen, senior ministry officials, and spouses of Commissioners and Permanent Secretaries, embodying a shocking betrayal of public trust.

Let us be clear: this is not leadership development. It is a taxpayer-funded vacation.

While Adamawa’s pensioners die waiting for their entitlements, workers remain unpaid, and communities suffer from poverty, illiteracy, and crumbling infrastructure, officials are jetting off to Europe for a week-long “Leadership and Management Masterclass for Senior Female Executives.” What official roles do these wives hold that warrant such extravagant training abroad?

Each participant is estimated to spend over ₦3 million on flights alone, excluding accommodation, feeding, and allowances.

With a delegation of this size, the total cost could run into hundreds of millions of naira. This is not just reckless, it is obscene.

If capacity building were truly the goal, world-class institutions within Nigeria could have delivered effective, transparent training at a fraction of the cost. What unique wisdom does Istanbul offer that cannot be found in Abuja, Lagos, or Yola?

CHRICED demanded that anti-corruption agencies immediately investigate this trip. The scale and secrecy suggest it may be a cover for money laundering or other financial misconduct. If wrongdoing is uncovered, those responsible must be held accountable without delay.

Adamawa’s people must not remain silent. This trip sets a dangerous precedent. If left unchecked, we risk a future where entire families of government officials are placed on the public payroll and sponsored on meaningless foreign junkets while the real needs of the people are ignored.

The scandal is a symptom of a deeper rot: leaders who lack credibility, compassion, and competence. CHRICED calls on all oversight institutions, civil society groups, and concerned citizens to demand an end to wasteful governance and a redirection of public resources toward education, healthcare, security, and infrastructure.