Obama turns down N100m, disowns Okereke-Onyiuke’s fund raiser
Lagos - The campaign organization of the Democratic Party‘s candidate for the November 2008 United States presidential election, Senator Barack Obama, has dissociated itself from the activities of a Nigeria-based group, Africa for Obama, led by Nigeria Stock Exchange Director-General, Prof. Ndi Okereke-Onyiuke.
The campaign organization said in a letter that it was doing so based on an advertisement that the Nigerian group was organizing a fundraiser for Obama.
‘Africa for Obama’ led by the Director-General of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, Prof. Ndi Okereke-Onyiuke, had at its dinner/concert in Lagos on Monday August 11, reportedly raised about N100m.
The letter by the Staff Counsel for the Obama for America, Ms. Kendall C. Burman, reads, “We want to inform you that Obama for America, Inc, which is the principal campaign committee for Senator Barrack Obama in his campaign for President of the United States, and the Democratic National Committee are in no way affiliated with this event or with this organization.
“Obama for America and the Democratic National Committee will not accept any funds raised at this event or through the fund raising activities of this group.
“We want to make it clear that the event and this organisation are in no way associated with Obama for America of the Democratic National Committee should this organisation seek to place additional advertisement in your paper.”
At the dinner in which notable artistes performed, tickets were sold in the category of Platinum (Corporate table for eight people for N2.5m and individual N325,000.
For the gold category, the ticket was sold for N2m for corporate table of eight and N275,000 for an individual.
But in a swift response, Okereke-Onyiuke said the event organized by ‘Africa for Obama’ was not aimed at raising funds for Obama but to sensitise Africans living in America.
The NSE chief pointed out that her organization did not at any time insinuate that it was raising money for Obama.
“What we are saying is that Obama is for the world and he has been getting support from Europeans, from Arabs and from all over and Nigerians should not be different.
“We are not collecting money for Obama. I lived in the US for 14 years; I am a Green Card holder and I know the law. We are just mobilizing people who are eligible voters to go out and register and voter for him and I don‘t know why this should be an issue”, Okereke-Onyiuke said.
“The event was a concert and people bought tickets on their own volition. People have been saying I used my position as D-G to compel corporate organisations to donate money. I am tired of all these. This is not true. No corporate organization gave any checks.”
“The guests came in their personal capacity, whether they work in a bank or anywhere else I do not know. Even the table I bought for my friends and relations was paid for out of my own pocket and the money was used for the food and to pay for the artistes. We ate and danced and enjoyed ourselves.”
“Some people, including journalists, came in for free and what I said there was that if there is any surplus, after the accounts have been done, the money will be used for mobilization.”
She explained that the mobilization campaign would involve advertisements and online campaigns to encourage African-Americans to register and vote for Obama.
Okereke-Onyuike, who stressed that the event was a private affair, wondered why eyebrows were not raised over similar events where tables went for eight figures.
She said, ”Nobody was forced to attend the event. I have paid N10m for a table at a concert; nobody was forced to pay. The event was a private thing and I used my own money to put it together. Some people like to sit in front of the television and watch history in the making but we chose to mobilize people to vote for someone we believe in.”
The NSE boss, who expressed her frustrations over negative insinuation about the real intentions of the organizers of the event, said that she was very careful in wording the media adverts that preceded the event.
Source: The Punch
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