Governor Akpabio Presents 2 Toyota SUVs To Tuface And Wife
Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State shocked guests at the traditional wedding of the Nigerian hip pop sensation on Friday when he announced a gift of two brand new Toyota Prado SUVs to the musician and his wife, Annie Macaulay.
At the event in Eket, Mr. Akpabio also announced that the state would bankroll an all-expense paid trip for 29 delegates from the state to attend the white wedding of the couple fixed for Dubai, the United Arab Emirate on March 23.
“On
behalf of the government and good people of Akwa Ibom State, I have
decided to donate two brand new Toyota SUVs to the couple,” the governor
announced with glee. “Also 29 Akwa Ibom delegates will join the wedding
which is billed to come up in Dubai.”
He also promised to rehabilitate the Eket-Ibeno Road ahead of the child dedication of Tuface and Annie.
Moments
after the donations were made, some concerned indigenes of the state
telephoned PREMIUM TIMES, saying the governor had taken his wasteful
spending of the state’s meager resources too far.
“How
do you explain this kind of situation where a governor donates cars to
people who can afford it when majority of the people in his state can’t
afford a meal a day?,” said one angry resident who requested anonymity
for fear he might be attacked by the governor’s loyalists.
“This
man treats the resources of the state like his personal estate, moving
about with huge cash and dashing money to everyone as if the funds
belong to him.”
The criticism of
Governor Akpabio however did not however take the shine off the wedding
which held at Apostolic High School, Esit Urua Community, along
Eket-Ibeno Road.
The event was
scheduled for noon but did not begin until 4p.m. A notorious late comer
to events, Governor Akpabio, as usual, arrived the venue around 5:20
p.m. in the company of Senators Helen Esuene and Aloysius Etok.
When
the two love birds got engaged on Valentine’s Day last year, many
thought a star-studded wedding was in the offing. But they instead
settled for a private civil marriage in Lagos, shortly after.
Tuface
defended the decision back then, saying it was largely due to the deep
respect he had for the feelings and emotions of the two major
characters/lovers in his life – Sunmbo Ajaba and Pero Adeniyi.
The couple have now fixed a star-studded wedding and honeymoon for faraway, Dubai, United Arab Emirates on March 23.