P-Square are Investigative Journalists
For a while now we’ve been toying with the idea of starting a Tumblr called “Shit The Nigerian Elite Wastes Nigeria’s Money On.”
Since the country’s vast piles of cash are certainly not being spent on decent public health or education, improving the woeful national power supply or preventing planes from falling out of the sky, the super-rich in Nigeria have got to spend it on something.
Most of the source material for the Tumblr would come from Linda Ikeji, Nigeria’s hugely successful chronicler-in-chief of million dollar champagne bottles, vast Lekki mansions, grotesquely expensive wrist-watches and international shopping sprees of all kinds including her own (her sister recently posted Linda’s receipts online after she paid in cash for some crazy expensive designer guff in Dubai).
A real zinger this past week came courtesy of much-beloved duo P-Square (the brothers Peter and Paul), who posted a series of photos to Instagram of the two of them lounging in some kind of palace. Nobody is sure exactly whose house it is but Ikeji claimed it was “definitely the home of a top government official”.
P-Square (and really any Nigerian celeb in the same situation) are doing a kind of investigative journalism, whether they know it or not, by posting pictures from inside these kind of homes. Where paper trails are impossible to uncover and appropriation of funds is systemic, the best available mode of exposé is to show in as much detail as possible how the money is being spent. Of course, it would be nice to know who the owner of the house is, but the fact that we don’t know means it comes to stand as evidence of the venality of the political class as a whole.
Checking out the comments underneath Ikeji’s post, lots of readers were amazed by how “great” it is to be rich, but lots of others pointed out that this kind of absurd opulence is simply proof of corruption.
There was also a clear split between prosperity gospel types and those with a more austere faith. Here’s a sample from the comments section:
Moni is gudd oooooo. People way get am shud enjoy, as for us way stil dey hustle, God’s time is de best
living the good life GOD BLESS NIGERIA WHAT A HOUSEThis is what they aare using nigerias money for THIEVES!!!
Holy ghost fire!!!….I must be rich ..see chair. God just drop an everlasting tunnel of blessings into my life IJN. Faaaayyyyaaaaahhh. It’s so.
Tax payers money….I am afraid oo my people…end time things.
Well thats naija for u. A place were Government officials live on our collective wealth and yet some people in this same country can’t afford complete meals and basic health care. SHAME!!!
This boy na fool I swear, you won’t see Jayz or Kanye showing off like dis. Local boy
If na government official get this crib. Im dey mad, Na government official or na royalty im be.
Sometimes I just wonder why we Nigerians are rich and yet we live like poor people. Imagine how magnificent the interior of the house is. All in the name of comfort of the top officials without remembering the poor masses. I just hope tinz get beta 1 day.
Abeg see dinning room o, dat dinnin table sef go fit feed someone for months, God will judge every single person.
The last word on this goes to an “Anonymous” observer, who vented thus:
May GOD punish all Nigerian politicians.
Stealing the lives of their children.
Bad people.
