Managers of bread seller turned model, Olajumoke Orisaguna, have told Qed.ng that she will not deliver a motivational speech at Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja on Saturday, February 20.
Play Network Nigeria (PNN) had on Wednesday announced the 27-year-old as motivational speaker at its Political Leadership Among Youths (P.L.A.Y.) Forum with the theme “If We Were The Government”.
Speaking to this online newspaper on Thursday, Olajumoke’s PR manager, Azuka Ogujiuba, accused the organisers of attempting to use the mother of two for cheap publicity.
According to her, “we are highly embarrassed by these people.”
Ogujiuba admitted that “PLAY Forum contacted Olajumoke’s handlers at Few Model Management with an offer for her to do a photoshoot for a clothing line.
“The agency agreed to the photoshoot and that was it. At no point was there any agreement that she should do any public speaking.
“Jumoke can’t speak English. How then could we have agreed for her to speak at a public event?”
An angry Ogujiuba concluded: “Jumoke will not be in Abuja for the PLAY Forum.”
Organisers of the event have however accused the model’s handlers of acting in bad faith.
Coordinator of the event, who simply identified himself as Charles, said there was an agreement that Olajumoke should do a photoshoot as well as speak at the PLAY Forum.
“These people should be honest and admit they made a mistake. There was an agreement with Few Model that Jumoke should model as well as give a public speech.
“Her managers only changed their mind after the media backlash that followed the announcement that she will be speaking in Abuja.
“I will not be silly to announce Jumoke’s appearance at an event for which a governor has already confirmed his attendance if we did not get a confirmation from her managers.
“If it is PR that we want, the photoshoot alone will do that for us. The event already has a life of its own and we do not need Jumoke as a headline act to make it successful.
“Like many others, I was motivated by Jumoke’s story. We never expected things to turn out this way.
“I repeat that if the media did not react the way it did, her handlers would not have pulled out.”
The PLAY Forum is advertised as “a non-partisan agenda to hold a ‘town-hall meeting’ – style forum set up as an upscale black-tie event on the 20th of February, 2016, at the Congress Hall, Transcorp Hilton, where youths come to discuss what they would do if they were the ones in government.”
Ondo State Governor, Olusegun Mimiko will be guest speaker while Kate Henshaw and Debola Williams are moderators. Ramsey Nouah is the anchor.
The flier announcing Jumoke as motivational speaker at the forum has been deleted from Instagram.
