…….He’s Driven By Money Over Efforts To Promote Aba Brand, Nwaogu Replies
A Lagos based artiste, Fortune Murakor Emelogu, popularly known as Ruffcoin Nwa Aba has opened up on the fallout between him and Mr. Chinenye Nwaogu, a Special Adviser on Job Creation to governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State.
The artiste had earlier called out the governor’s aide for using his picture to promote an event without due authorisation or made any payment in that regard.
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Narrating to ABN TV on Thursday on what transpired between him and the aide of the governor, Ruffcoin said Mr. Nwaogu earlier in November reached out to him on the use of his picture to promote an event tagged, ‘Abia Entertainers Award’.
According to Ruffcoin, he had declined Mr. Nwaogu’s request to make use of his image to promote the event without making payment.
Apart from the fee, Ruffcoin had listed a business and two economy flight tickets to and fro Lagos as the requirements to be fulfilled by Mr. Nwaogu to enable him and his team appear on the said event.
“After he received that text message on the 6th of November, he did not reach out to me or any member of my team until three or two weeks later when I saw a post on social media, Instagram with my picture, saying that I will be performing live at the event.
“I reached out to him, asking why he should make use of my picture without getting back to me as requirements we gave him.
“He never asked for a contract, an invoice to make any payment, he never even got back to us that he agrees with our requirements on going forward with the event” he said.
According to Ruffcoin, he had instructed the governor’s aide to take down all the publicity materials, including billboards that have his image until his terms to be at the event are fulfilled.
Ruffcoin accused Mr. Nwaogu of having no intentions of paying him for the service, stating that no commitment was made to the effect of fulfilling his conditions.
He described as laughable the promise by the governor’s aide that he (Ruffcoin) was going to be honoured with an icon award at the event, insisting that payment should be made for his appearance.
Ruffcoin said the window for the organisers of the event to take down his images being used to promote it has closed, stating that he would take legal action.
Reacting to the allegation, Mr. Chinenye Nwaogu in a chat with ABN TV said the programme was designed to recognise young people in the society especially in the SME sector who have carved a niche for themselves in their chosen endeavours.
According to the Governor’s aide, the entrepreneur and creative award was not designed to have an input of government but people-driven where award recipients will be nominated by the people and voted by the people in transparent manner.
According to him, when the nominations came in, he began to speak with stakeholders within and outside the country to fund the project, saying the government cannot finance it.
He said 25 of the categories will not only be recognised but given cash reward to be sourced from individuals and corporate organizations.
According to the governor’s aide, pledges have been made and money coming in, ranging from N1m, 500k to be distributed to those who will win in the awards.
He highlighted that he spoke to Ruffcoin as someone who has been promoting Aba for a long time to be part of the planning process after he had earlier involved him on an engagement outside the country.
He said Ruffcoin responded with all kinds of lamentations on how he has issues with the state government.
He (Nwaogu) said he appealed to Ruffcoin to support young tailors, garment and shoemakers and others in SME by being part of the vision as a way of raising hope for them.
According to Nwaogu, despite being a leading city in SME, Aba has no branded event, stating that the occasion was branded to be the first of its kind in the city.
Upon persuasion, Ruffcoin agreed to be part of it and began to speak with other artists, Nwaogu said.
He however revealed to Ruffcoin that it was not a government affair but fully driven by individuals, maintaining that the government did not put money to it.
“I met with Chima Anyaso in Lagos who is the President of Umu Aba Connect in Lagos. They love the idea. In fact Umu Aba Connect alone is sponsoring about six categories of awards.
“They took six. They were so excited and because it is so transparent that they are going to give money to the winners. They are not going to give us money. They were so excited” he said.
He further revealed that Umu Aba Connect agreed to pick Ruffcoin’s bill, in addition to the 500k they sent for logistics aside the categories of award they are to sponsor.
Mr. Nwaogu further said Ruffcoin later reached out to him when the publicity for the event commenced and expressed dissatisfaction that Chima Anyaso had not reached him.
He said he instructed the publicity team to drop Ruffcoin’s image from the publicity materials. He says the ones that have his image are the ones posted before the concern was raised.
He said even billboards and lampholder billboards which have been paid for and printed were not placed because of Ruffcoin’s complain about not being paid.
He further said that a disclaimer has been written to the effect of non appearance of Ruffcoin at the event which was sent to him to vet before publication.
He expressed dissatisfaction that Ruffcoin is placing money over efforts to promote Aba brand, saying it will count against him in the future.
He said he indicated interest to pay Ruffcoin his N1m service fee but Ruffcoin declined, rather resorted to insulting him.
He said all efforts to appeal to Ruffcoin to see reasons on why the programme was being hosted proved abortive.
