The Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola blew a whooping $500,000 on “appearance fee ‘for American reality television personality, Kim Kardashian.
Pointblanknews.com learnt that the extra budgetary largese excludes first class tickets for she and her crew, accomodation, logistics, security etc.
Despite staying less than a day in the city of Lagos the pregnant star was paid a reported $500,000 for her fleeting visit, angering some commentators and citizens of the state.
Kim’s visit to Nigeria unfortunately coincided with the kidnapping of seven foreigners, including one Briton, by armed men in the north of the country. An Islamist group later claimed responsibility.
The mother-to-be, married to rap star Kanye West, was in Lagos to ‘co-host’ the Love Like A Movie event with African R’n’B crooner Darey Art-Alade, for which tickets cost N100,000, or $640.
But according to local reports Kim stayed at the event for 45 minutes, making a 45-second statement on the microphone.
Independent Nigerian TV station Channels Television reported: ‘There were disappointments after Kim Kardashian came on stage for only 40 seconds.’
The channel posted pictures of the smiling star wearing a black leather dress, posing alongside the performers including 2Face, Waje, Banky W, Ice Prince, Mo’Eazy and Zaina.
Guardian blogger Jeremy Weate described how Kim’s 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.’
Commentators in the country made reference to Kim’s infamous sex tape as they queried why a woman of dubious ‘moral rating’ should be in the country at all.
This Day newspaper’s Eddy Odivwri wrote: ‘Many families are not exactly comfortable with her lifestyle, as she hardly cuts the image of a role model to a generation in need of a moral dress up.’
‘Kim was criticised for her brief marriage to Kris Humphries, with Charles Mgbolu for AllAfrica writing: ‘It is uncertain how much Kim is loved in Nigeria as she fell sour to a lot of her fans after her divorce with former hubby Kris Humphries in a marriage that lasted barely 72 days.’
And it wasn’t just in Nigeria that eyebrows were raised, with Ghana based site GhanaCelebrities.com writing: ‘My questions is; what is wrong with us Africans?
‘When did Kim Kardashian become so good at hosting that she has to be paid thousands of dollars and be brought to Nigeria to handle a concert?’
Kim seemed oblivious to the controversy, however, as she left on an Air France flight.
Looking tired she was later pictured arriving in Los Angeles, her bump hidden beneath a simple white shirt which she teamed with black trousers.
But she did manage a smile for the cameras, perhaps glad to be home.
The 32-year-old tweeted: ‘Just landed back home! 20 hrs of flying. No big deal.’
With agency report from Daily mail
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