In a fascinating #NairaLife story, an unidentified 23-year-old daughter of a prominent politician shared her unique journey of growing up in a political family and the financial privileges that came with it.
In the startling revelation, she shed light on a mysterious source of income, bringing in an average of ₦800,000 monthly.
Though uncertain about the specifics, she bravely shared that these assets technically belong to her father, raising concerns about potential conflicts of interest.
She divulged, “I’m unfamiliar with the details, but I have different assets in my name, and they bring in an average of ₦800k monthly. They technically belong to my dad, but it’s illegal for public servants to have other companies or business deals which could pose a conflict of interest. But hardly any public servant in Nigeria adheres to that. So, they front other people as the owners and even award contracts to these ‘companies.’ It’s like standard practice.”
As the discussion deepened, a question arose about potential money laundering. However, she clarified, “Something like that. But to most of my knowledge, my assets aren’t from diverted government contracts. They are just not publicly linked to my family because they were obtained when my dad was in public office.”
Her revelation ignites a fierce debate on the lack of transparency and loopholes within the Nigerian political system.
It brings to the fore the urgent need for comprehensive reforms to ensure public officials remain accountable and uphold the integrity of their positions.
She went on to say, “My father is a politician. He and some of his siblings have been in politics for as long as I can remember. At the time of the money bag incident, he was a House of Reps member. I didn’t know then, but I can assume now that the money was probably to share with certain people or groups as part of the party’s campaign efforts.”
According to her, since the age of 18, her future has been secure, thanks to her parents’ wise investments and a trust fund of $250,000 set up for her.
Yet, despite this financial abundance, she rates her financial happiness at a modest 6.
Her earliest memory of money is finding stacks of cash in her father’s office at a young age.
In her words; “I’ve always been surrounded by money. But the memory that strikes me the most is from when I was around eight or nine years old. I’d followed my dad to his office that day, and when I went to use the toilet, I noticed several ghana-must-go bags there. I was a curious child, so I peeked inside. You can guess what I found, money.”
As the daughter of a politician, she grew up surrounded by wealth, with her mother ensuring they lacked nothing.
Her father’s “grace” system, where pleasing him brings favor and financial abundance, also played a role in shaping her upbringing.
With financial security and a generous monthly allowance, she enjoyed a carefree university life in the UK, even renting an apartment and indulging in lavish spending on clothes and gifts for friends.
She said; “When I moved to the UK in 2017 for university, I was supposed to live in one of my dad’s apartments. But I wanted to enjoy uni life with other students and attend parties, so I rented another apartment with a couple of friends and gave out my dad’s apartment to some random people for £1,500 per month. In addition, I got roughly £2k/month allowance from my parents— which wasn’t set in stone because I could always call them if I needed more money. ”
We went on to recount how she “sponsored eight friends to Jamaica in 2018 to attend my half-brother’s birthday party because I didn’t want to travel alone.”
After graduation, she returned to Nigeria and served in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), aiming to impress her father who contested in the 2023 elections and gain his favor.
“I planned to return to Nigeria for NYSC, but COVID happened. So I stayed back in the UK till 2021 and did NYSC the following year.
“I like to say I served on paper because I only visited the orientation camp once. My PPA was with one of my dad’s colleagues, so I didn’t need to show up. The only reason I didn’t return to the UK was because my mum wanted me to be around my dad.”
She added; “He (her father) was going to contest for re-election in the 2023 general elections, and she (her mother) wanted him to see I was valuable. Perhaps he’d reward me with a position in government or help me get better acquainted with his colleagues.”
When asked if she wanted to be a public servant like her dad, she replied, “No, I don’t even like being in the public eye. I prefer not to be known as my father’s daughter in public. My stepmother is the political wife, so her children are a bit more well-known in our state compared to me and my siblings. And I like it that way because I don’t have the strength for trolls. I’ve never had personal experience with insults from random people on the internet, and I’d like to keep it that way.
I just helped with the campaign to put my marketing degree to use and please my mother. ”
Her trust fund, set to mature in 2025, holds $250,000, earmarked for postgraduate studies and travel plans.
According to her: “About $250k. I’ll get it in 2025, and I already have plans for it: tour six countries in four months, enrol in school for my postgraduate degree and keep the rest in a savings account. It’s my safety net because I know if I run to my dad for financial help, he’d ask, “What about your trust fund?” Plus having to pander to be in his “good graces” is exhausting, and I don’t want to do that for the rest of my life.”
However, she acknowledged her financial indiscipline and plans to explore investment options to become more self-sufficient.
“I’m not broke, but I’m the most financially-indisciplined person I know. I just spend knowing that money will always be there. It now feels like there will be a ticking clock on my finances the moment I get my trust fund, and I need to figure shit out soon.”
