The Nigerian president spent
$1million of aid money to entice international popstars such as Beyonce
and Jay-Z to perform at a music festival in the poverty-stricken
country, a media source reported.
A
letter stamped and signed by Bayelsa State officials in 2006 revealed
that President Goodluck Jonathan, then the Governor of the state,
released 150million Nigerian Nairas from the state’s poverty alleviation
fund for the inaugural ThisDay Music Festival in the city of Lagos in
2006, according to SaharaReporters.
The
document surfaced after reality TV star Kim Kardashian was reportedly
paid $500,000 (£329,695) for a fleeting appearance in Lagos last week,
angering Nigerian commentators.
Poverty pay: One million dollars of Nigerian aid
money was spent to entice international popstars such as Beyonce and
Jay-Z to a music festival in the poverty-stricken country
The mother-to-be was billed to
‘co-host’ the Love Like A Movie event with African R’n’B crooner Darey
Art-Alade, for which tickets cost N100,000 (£418). But according to
local reports, Kim stayed at the event for 45 minutes, making a
45-second statement on the microphone.
SaharaReporters reported that sources
who provided the letter said there was an alleged link between
producers of high profile entertainment events and government officials
who control the budget at a state and federal level in Nigeria.
The
letter was sent from Nduka Obaigbena, the publisher of Nigerian
newspaper ThisDay – the major sponsor for the festival - to the Bayelsa
State government asking for money for the festival ahead of the
country’s 46th independence celebration.
Fleeting appearance: Kim Kardashian was reportedly paid $500,000 (£329,695) to 'co-host' an event in Nigeria last week
The authenticity of the letter has not been confirmed. It
is not known whether the funds allegedly released by the government
were paid to festival performers directly and if so, how much the
performers received.
One
source told SaharaReporters: ‘Mr Obaigbena often lines up financial
bonanzas from numerous governors, ministers and other top government
officials to finance his jamborees.’
At
the bottom of the letter, a handwritten note allegedly signed by aides
of then Governor Jonathan and the state’s accountant general says:
‘Release N150,000,000.00 (One hundred and fifty million naira) only to
be drawn from the poverty alleviation subhead.’
The
letter reads: ‘The music festival will bring the world’s top music
icons to Nigeria and showcase the great news coming out of Nigeria.
‘Already several top music icons have signed on or are signing on.
‘They’ll tell the world through music that Nigeria’s time has come.’
The publisher added: ‘We invite you to partner with us as co-hosts of the festival.
‘With a total budget of $10 million, the co-host is expected to contribute a minimum of $2.5 million.’
There
was also no indication that Beyonce and Jay Z were aware that their
appearance was subsidised by the Nigerian state’s poverty alleviation
fund, it was reported.
Missy Elliott, Busta Rhymes, Snoop Dogg and Ciara were also among performers at the 2006 festival.
Mr
Obaigbena’s parent company Leaders & Company have produced other
major events in Nigeria which have seen other American stars such as
Usher, Rihanna and R Kelly perform since 2006.
ThisDay
Festival has also hosted former American President Bill Clinton and
Lawrence Summers, the former economic adviser for the Obama office.
Tickets prices have often been too expensive for the average Nigerian with some costing tens of thousands of Nigerian Naira.
Tickets to the Love Like A Movie event in which Miss Kardashian appeared at last week cost N100,000 (£418).
A letter stamped and signed by Bayelsa State
officials revealed that the then Governor Goodluck Jonathan, now
Nigerian President, released 150million Nigerian Nairas from the state's
poverty alleviation fund for the inaugural ThisDay Music Festival in
2006
Guardian blogger Jeremy Weate
described how her visit was an example of the country’s economic elite
‘blowing its money on bling puffery while most of the country suffers’.
He
wrote: ‘Ms Kardashian appeared, said, “Hey Naija” and vamoosed. The
rumour was that she’d been paid 500,000 Benjamins for the honour of
mixing with the petro-class.’
A
representative for Beyonce’s record label Columbia Records was
unavailable for comment as was the Nigerian High Commission in London.
While
Nigeria is Africa’s most populous nation and largest oil producer, 47
per cent of Bayelsans live in poverty according to the Nigerian Bureau
of Statistics.
In the state’s capital, Yenagoa, about two out of every five residents do not have access to safe drinking water.
Spread the word: The letter sent from the
festival's major sponsor to Nigerian government officials said that
performances from stars such as Beyonce would 'tell the world through
music that Nigeria's time has come'
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