The National President of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, Musiliu Akinsanya, popularly known as MC Oluomo, has denied allegations that he failed to pay Nollywood actors who participated in President Bola Tinubu’s 2023 election campaign.
MC Oluomo described the allegations as false and misleading, insisting that he funded the campaign with his personal money.
Some Nollywood stars, including Fatai Adetayo (Lalude), Ronke Oshodi-Oke, and Ganiu Nafiu (Alapini), had accused the NURTW boss of failing to fulfil financial promises allegedly made to them during the campaign for Tinubu and Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
Lalude, in an episode of the Beyond the Fame podcast, claimed that Oluomo had promised him and other entertainers N1.5m each but failed to pay after the campaign ended.
According to him, the group camped for over seven weeks, campaigning daily “without proper compensation.”
“At first, they gave us N10,000 daily for feeding, but even that was abruptly stopped. We trekked long distances every day while MC Oluomo followed in his car. In the end, we were completely abandoned,” the actor alleged.
But reacting to the allegations, MC Oluomo said he had no reason to deny anyone their entitlements, insisting he personally funded the campaign and spent millions of naira accommodating and supporting the entertainers.
The NURTW boss spoke during an interview with broadcaster and film producer, Kola Olootu, which was posted on YouTube on Friday.
“I saw all their allegation videos, but I did not respond to them. All I know is that we did Tinubu’s campaign together, and anyone among them who did not get something out of the campaign should come out and say it.
“Nobody gave me money; I used my money to fund the campaign for Asiwaju Bola Tinubu because Tinubu is next to God and my mother in my life.
“I booked 140 hotel rooms for them during the campaign and paid ₦45,000 per room every day. I gave them money every day till the end of the campaign, and they spent two to three months in the hotel. Wouldn’t someone who spent ten days lodged in a hotel and did not get any monetary gain have left?
“They even organised a birthday party for me. I came back from the U.S., and people told me that I should visit them in their hotel. When I got there, they surprised me with a birthday party.
“I used my personal funds for Tinubu’s campaign, and we will still do it again for the 2027 election. I won’t be discouraged by their allegations because I’m totally for Tinubu, and my priority is Tinubu’s victory in 2027,” MC Oluomo said.
Speaking on his long-standing disagreement with former NURTW National President, Tajudeen Baruwa, MC Oluomo explained that while the former once supported his rise within the union, their relationship later broke down despite several reconciliation efforts.
He said, “Baruwa is my boss. When I wanted to become the state chairman, he was the one that installed and swore me in. He was the national president at that time. Along the line, we had a disagreement, but the governor tried to resolve the issue. The chief of staff and popular fuji musician, Wasiu Ayinde, were at the meeting. I prostrated before Baruwa that day. But the following week afterwards, Baruwa invited us to Abuja and said the governor had no say in the union’s affairs. The next thing he did was to suspend me.”
Oluomo added that Baruwa also failed to attend reconciliation meetings called by the Nigeria Labour Congress to resolve the crisis.
punch.ng
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