[dropcap]E[/dropcap]ver since I began my #RenoMoni initiative, Pastor Yemi Osinbajo has been feeling uncomfortable. I can understand his discomfiture. As the proverb goes, a short man is always uncomfortable when the conversation centers around dwarfism.
I receive too many emails from poor, broken-hearted and suicidal Nigerians and I cannot just sit by doing nothing. I am a follower of Christ and being a Christian is a verb. It is an action word. I can’t see my fellow Nigerians suffering as the world headquarters for extreme poverty and do nothing. That is why I started #RenoMoni.
And now, Osinbajo is threatened because I not only send money to Nigerians, but they come on my profile to share screenshots of the alerts they received from me. In his mind, Osinbajo feels I am competing with his deceitful Tradermoni scheme, which he started during the elections and abandoned immediately he and General Buhari were rigged back to power.
For those who defended Pastor Osinbajo against claims that Tradermoni is vote buying, how would you explain the fact that his office announced on August 9 that pastor Osinbajo would resume Tradermoni, but this time only in Bayelsa? Do not take my word for it. Google it. Why Bayelsa? Because an election is scheduled there in November.
In a land ravaged by poverty, only the truly wicked would exploit people’s poverty in such a cruel way and with public funds.
And now, Pastor Osinbajo has sponsored people to write anonymous articles in various papers slandering me and accusing me of having made money by selling my #FreeLeahSharibu T-shirts and pocketing the money.
But even if this were true, how is that a crime? I custom made the shirts with Armani and Top Man with my money, if I choose to sell them, is that a crime?
But it is not true. Yes, I custom made some
#FreeLeahSharibu T-shirts, but not even a dime has been paid to me. I advertised that if anyone was interested in the T-shirts, they should make a donation of ₦50,000 DIRECT to Nathan Irmiya Sharibu’s account (of which I provided his account number).
Nathan is Leah Sharibu’s father. Once money is paid into his account, I asked all those who donated to confirm with the Christian Association of Nigeria Chairman for Kaduna state by sending him proof of payment. Once this is done, we then send them the T-shirts.
I have spent a fortune of my own money on those shirts and I have not made a dime and I do not want to make a dime. It is an act of charity. By God’s grace I have raised money for Leah’s parents. Why? The money cannot free Leah, but it enables them pursue the cause of #FreeLeahSharibu.
Also, I persuaded the British Prime Minister, Mr. Boris Johnson, to wear the T-Shirt while standing by my side and the picture was published on the front page of ThisDay, to raise awareness for #FreeLeahSharibu. I also persuaded award winning R and B singer, Howard Hewitt, to do the same.
Rather than sponsor people to write articles falsely accusing me, Osinbajo, who claims to be a pastor, should appreciate me.
If there is anyone or institution that has paid me, directly or indirectly, for my #FreeLeahSharibu T-Shirts, or any aspect of my #FreeLeahSharibu campaign, I challenge them to expose me. If Pastor Osinbajo has proof that I am making money from my #FreeLeahSharibu campaign, he should publish it. He can pay for the publication with Tradermoni.
His anonymous writers claim I am broke. Really? After the February Nigerian Presidential elections were postponed, I singlehandedly provided buses to ferry Nigerian voters to their polling units IRRESPECTIVE OF WHO THEY WERE VOTING FOR.
I have been providing financial support to Nigerians after the elections through #RenoMoni. I have also visited 36 countries in 2019 alone, campaigning for #FreeLeahSharibu. Are these the actions of a broke man.
Okay, since Osinbajo’s stooges say I am broke, I will now double the #RenoMoni financial stipends I give to the poor from ₦10,000 to ₦20,000.
And I urge Pastor Osinbajo to partner with me and learn how to help the poor without using it as a cover to prepare for election rigging!
Reno Omokri is the author of bestselling book, ‘Facts Versus Fiction: The True Story of the Jonathan Years’. He is pastor and social media influencer. He can be reached via Twitter @RenoOmokri.
The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author.
