Lagos Commissioner of Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, has fired back at social media users who assumed he used taxpayers’ money to fund his trip to watch Real Madrid’s Champions League final victory.
The commissioner added that public servants have private lives and personal interests outside of their official duties. He stated that not every expense incurred by a public servant is funded by taxpayers, dismissing the assumption as a “poor mentality”.
Wahab also shared that he was a successful lawyer for over 30 years before entering public service and has been a Real Madrid fan for over 30 years, able to afford to watch their matches live.
Wahab, a longtime Real Madrid fan, shared videos of himself live at the stadium on his X account on Sunday, after his club Real Madrid, became the champion of Europe.
Following his post on his X account on Sunday, a user on X.com, Israel Atumen who identifies as #israel_atumen tweeted: “When will you support a Lagos team to reach new heights? Never mind the dollars spent on your trip to Madrid on state expenses…The money would have been channelled to a Lagos team for the better”
Another user, £ Mon£¥ who identifies as #PreciousSeed5, tweeted: “Lagosians taxpayers money 💰 is working 💪”.
Reacting, Wahab tweeted: “Public servants are human just like yourself. We have our private lives before joining public service and would still have it after leaving the service.
The assumption that every penny spent by a public servant is from taxpayer can best be described as a poor man’s mentality. Get it off your head!”
In another post, he tweeted: “I was a successful lawyer of over 3 decades before getting into public service.
“I have been a fan of Real Madrid FC for more than 30 years and I have been watching all their matches live at the stadium or live at home consistently for same period.
“I wasn’t poor neither am I poor. Get this poor mentality off your head. Enjoy your life when you can. All works and no play makes you dull!.”
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