In what many Nigerians have
criticized as an undeserving First Black History Month National Black
Excellence and Exceptional African Leadership award conferred on Nigerian
president, Muhammadu Buhari by Martin Luther King Jr’s family, the award was
handsomely paid for.
According
to our presidency source, the award was facilitated by Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the
Senior Special Assistant to the president on Foreign Relations & Diaspora
through a Ghanaian self-acclaimed foreign diplomat, Erieka Bennett.
A
quick fact-check on Erieka Bennett revealed that she runs a Non Governmental
Organization called, Diaspora African Forum based in Accra, Ghana.
Erieka
Bennett calls herself ‘Ambassador At Large’ as she uses her influence to
facilitate foreign awards for unsuspecting African leaders.
Erieka
Bennett was a former aide to Ghanaian president, John Mahama.
LeadersNG
investigations revealed that Dr. Erieka Bennett was contracted by Abike
Dabiri-Erewa to help use her NGO to bring Martin Luther King jr’s family to
Nigeria to give President Muhammadu Buhari award.
Dr.
Erieka Bennett, LeadersNG learned, contacted someone in King’s family, a
distant relative of Martin Luther King called Dr. Naomi Barbara after King
Center declined earlier request by Bennett to influence an award for a certain
African leader.
The
award which was paid for by the Nigerian government as part of the ongoing PR
stunt to launder president Buhari’s image was not on official portals that was
opened strictly to promote the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther king’s
assassination.
The Presidency source said, Buhari
only got to know about the award on the day of confirnment as he had no
pre-knowledge of what Dabiri-Erewa was up to.
However,
LeadersNG further learned that $3m was paid for the fake Martin Luther King
Jr’s award that was conferred on Nigerian president Muhammadu Buhari.
You
would recall that a pro-democracy group, Concerned Nigerians had earlier
condemned the award given to president Muhammadu Buhari.
The
group in its statement berated the King’s family for awarding Nigerian
president a leadership award as it negates the ideals and principles of what
America’s foremost civil rights activist stood and died for.
The
$3m according to our source, was provided by APC Board of Trustees member,
Alhaji Nasir Dano.
The
King Centre had through their official Twitter account denied awarding President
Muhammadu Buhari.
The
centre says “The award given to President Buhari of Nigeria was not given by
The King Center, at the request of The King Center or by the children of #MLK
and #CorettaScottKing.”
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