The Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) has taken a swipe at the Publisher of Ovation Magazine, Dele Momodu in the aftermath of the recent appearance of former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke at a virtual event in the Niger Delta.
The former minister’s participation in the event is believed to have been packaged by Momodu, Publisher/columnist-cum-public relations practitioner.
In a statement signed by its Secretary, Cassidy Madueke, BMO said that it was obvious that Momodu was hired to spread falsehood about Diezani’s health status in 2015.
“Having carefully studied the footage of the former minister speaking at the event organised by the Ijaw National Development Group, we have come to the conclusion that what Mr Momodu did in that syndicated 2015 interview was a disservice to journalism.
“We found it hard to reconcile the picture he shared in November 2015 of a frail, balding Diezani looking almost twice her age, to the one Nigerians saw in the video shared by another infamous hack and blogger Jackson Ude.
“It is tragic that an individual who is always eager to paint himself as a social crusader in his weekly column in a national newspaper could make himself available for a gimmick designed to hoodwink Nigerians, at a time the former minister was being investigated for sundry financial crimes in Nigeria, United Kingdom and the United States of America.
“It was not a surprise therefore that not too long ago, Dele Momodu was the one that rose to deny claims that Mrs Alison-Madueke had secured the citizenship of a small Caribbean Islands nation in a bid to escape justice
“Back to her appearance at the virtual event, she did not sound or look like someone who was battling cancer or had at any time gone through what the Ovation Publisher claimed in his serialized write up four years ago.
“Or is it that she made such a remarkable recovery that not even Momodu knew about it”, the statement added.
BMO described the former oil minister’s appearance at the event as another publicity initiative that unfortunately backfired.
“Her appearance at that virtual event from the UK seems like an effort to reintegrate her into the region and present her as a voice for women in the Niger Delta from the diaspora.
“But just like the Dele Momodu Show, the latest gambit was doomed to fail after she called out internet fraudsters also known as Yahoo boys with so much audacity.
“Like many Nigerians, we won’t accept the message and overlook the messenger because we see her in the same mould as those fraudsters. This is more so that the former minister was presented as a role model that could be invited to admonish young people and aspiring female politician, even with so many corruption allegations hanging on her neck.
“How is a woman that teamed up with the Ovation Publisher to put up a fraudulent act in 2015 different from Yahoo Boys? And considering that she is linked to multi-million dollar money laundering schemes locally and internationally, we dare say she is on a higher level than the average internet fraudster and could only be compared to the Hushpuppies of this world”.
The group also urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation to do whatever it takes to ensure that the former minister is extradited to face a similar fate like the internet fraudsters.