Nigerians are reacting on social media to the appointment of no fewer than 30 aides by Comrade Abasifreke Benson, the President of the Students’ Union at Akwa Ibom State University.
In a letter he signed, the student leader stated that the appointments of the special assistants were pertinent to ensure his administration’s effective and smooth running.
The appointments include but are not limited to the Chief of Staff, Chief Press Secretary, Chief Security Officer, and 8 SAs on media and publicity, among others.
One of the reactions came from a renowned human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, as he took to his Facebook page to call out the student leader over the development.
He described the appointments as a destructive political culture that has taken over Nigerian higher institutions.
He wrote, “His Excellency, the President, and Commander-in-Chief of the Students’ Union Government, Akwa Ibom State University, Comrade Abasifreke Benson, has very important information for the general public. I missed a lot that year when I served as President of the Students’ Representatives Council (SRC), Nigerian Law School, Lagos Campus, without a single aide.
“What will the President of the Union then be doing in view of this long list of “appointees and aides?” His Excellency forgot to appoint a Senior Special Adviser and a Special Adviser on Legal Matters.
“There is a terrible political culture that has evolved in Akwa Ibom State; the culture of seeing ‘political appointments’ and proximity to power as the beginning and the end of life. This destructive political culture has infested higher institutions and is very sad.”
On Twitter, a user identified as @BulusPaul9 simply wrote, “Nigerian’s mentality” while another with the handle @nduoyo_adams added, “Power drunk.”
Commenting on the post, a Facebook user, Charles Awuzie, wrote, “This is exactly my point. Our problem is BOTTOM TO TOP… not top to bottom. Give a little boy Student Union President, and he appoints a dozen special advisers, etc., and embezzles SUG funds.”
