I am so infuriated this dawn, after going through a few headlines on Google News Nigeria. When I blogged about Nigeria for Obama (ObamaNigeria.org): A Misplaced Priority in March 2008, putting a spotlight on an effort by some Lagos State legislators, I suspected idleness and over-zealousness but this new move by yet another group of people, I smell plain thievery. Frankly.
Apparently, a new group called “Obama for Africa” has since surfaced in Nigeria and they even raised about N100 million (US$840,000) in a recent fund-raising dinner, according to The Punch newspaper.
‘Africa for Obama’ led by the Director-General of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, Prof. Ndi Okereke-Onyiuke, had at its dinner/concert in Lagos on Monday August 11, reportedly raised about N100m.
This matter raises so many questions begging for answers.
Are these supposedly enlightened people not aware that donating towards political campaigns in the United States is restricted to US citizens and permanent US residents only? In plain language, the fund-raising dinner is illegal.
How do they expect to repatriate the gathered funds to Obama official campaign team when the group has dissociated itself from “Obama for Africa”?
The letter by the Staff Counsel for the Obama for America, Ms. Kendall C. Burman, reads, “We want to inform you that Obama for America, Inc, which is the principal campaign committee for Senator Barrack Obama in his campaign for President of the United States, and the Democratic National Committee are in no way affiliated with this event or with this organisation.
“Obama for America and the Democratic National Committee will not accept any funds raised at this event or through the fundraising activities of this group.
“We want to make it clear that the event and this organisation are in no way associated with Obama for America of the Democratic National Committee should this organisation seek to place additional advertisement in your paper.”
Disgrace. One can only imagine what would be going through the minds of Senator Obama and his campaign team.
The woman defended herself but the question remains, What will be done with the money raised?
Okereke-Onyiuke said the event organised by ‘Africa for Obama’ was not aimed at raising funds for Obama but to sensitise Africans living in America.
The NSE chief who spoke with one of our correspondents on the telephone on Monday said, ”At no time did we say we were raising money for Obama.
“What we are saying is that Obama is for the world and he has been getting support from Europeans, from Arabs and from all over and Nigerians should not be different.
“We are not collecting money for Obama. I lived in the US for 14 years; I am a Green Card holder and I know the law. We are just mobilising people who are eligible voters to go out and register and voter for him and I don‘t know why this should be an issue.
Obviously, the ‘Obamacracy’ is not limited to Prof. Ndi Okereke-Onyiuke and her friends. I just saw a feature article on Vanguard newspaper’s website titled: Obama Obscenity
SUPPORT for US senator Barack Hussein Obama, 46, an African-American, with roots in Kenyan’s Luo ethnic group, and the Democrats’ presidential candidate in November’s election, began gradually, but it has turned into an obsession for some Nigerians, and assuming obscene proportions. From some cars that bore Obama stickers, emails that sold his candidacy, to posters that have found their places on the otherwise posterless streets of Abuja, the Nigerian side of the campaign is assuming a senselessness.
What is all this Obama noise about, especially in the manner we are approaching it? Who permitted those posters on the streets of Abuja?
What are your thoughts?
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