Revealed: How Nigerian Ambassador to the US, Adefuye Defrauded Mrs Olubufunmi, a US based Nigerian tourism consultant of $528,000
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- Category: GENERAL
- Published on Wednesday, 04 July 2012 13:10
- Written by Admin
Hajiya Amina Mohammed Namadi Sambo, wife of Nigeria’s vice president - On October 2010, wife of Nigeria’s Vice President, Hajiya Amina Namadi Sambo, attended a Pan African Women Leaders Summit in Washington D.C, where she called on Africa leaders to promote gender empowerment on the
continent. Speaking of the conference where she represented the first lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, as reported by the Voice of America, on October 23, 2010, Hajiya Sambo said the conference focused, among others, on issues relating to women’s health, empowerment, education, health and gender equality.
From left, Mrs Carol Olubufunmi; Gov. Brian Schweitzer; Olan Ogunbufunmi, promoting tourism in Times Square, New York City. [Please continue reading after the jump]
According to Thisday Newspapers of 27 Oct 2010, which also reported the event, “the First Lady commended the organiser of the summit for providing the platform for interaction on issues affecting women for women who occupy leadership positions in Africa.”
Thisday also said “The summit, organised by Pan African Women Leaders Networks, was a joint initiative of different foundations to bring changes to change lives by enhancing and positioning African Women to effect a positive change in governance through various networking and leadership programmes, and to identify and recognize the importance of women leaders in good governance and poverty alleviation in Africa. The theme of the summit is ‘Bringing Changes to Change Lives’.”
But unknown to the first lady and Hajiya Sambo, and other participants, while the Federal government of Nigeria immediately defrayed their delegates’ payments and commitment fees through the office of the Embassy of Nigeria in the United States, the Nigerian Ambassador, Prof. Ade Adefuye seized the money and have refused to pay the organiser of the event till date.
To add insult to injury, last month, the Ambassador instructed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to arrest Mrs Carol Olubufunmi on a fraudulent charge of “Attempt to Obtain by False Pretences”. Consequently, the EFCC on 25 June 2012 sent a letter to Mr Mike Ozhekome, her legal counsel requesting Mrs Olubufunmi, to report to the EFCC office in Nigeria for interrogation.
This followed several attempts by Mrs Carol Olubufunmi to seek legal redress in the United States. Elombah.com was told the Embassy sought to involve the EFCC immediately they learned that Mrs Olubufunmi has instructed ECU Law associates, Law Firm of Mr Ephraim Emeka Ugwuonye to take legal action to recover her money from the Ambassador.
Thisday Newspapers reported that the following also attended the summit: the Vice President’s wife, Hajiya Amina Namadi Sambo; then Minister of Information and Communication, Prof. Dora Akunyili; First Lady of Niger State, Hajiya Jumai Babangida Aliyu; her counterpart in Benue State, Mrs. Yemisi Suswam; wife of House Majority Leader, Mrs. Tumi Akogun; and other women leaders from Nigeria.
Mrs Olubufumi, told Elombah.com that when Nigerian authorities asked her to bring the event to the attention of the Ambassador, Mr Adefuye initially wanted to hijack the event, and sought to present himself as the organiser, but when that effort came to naught, the Ambassador insisted that his wife must be the chief hostess, or at least co-host the event. Mrs Adefuye was then allowed to prepare the refreshment which was served at the conference.
Nigerian Ambassador to the United States, Prof. Ade Adefuye
On July 25, 2011, the Organiser of the event wrote to Ambassador Adefuye to request immediate payment for her services. Below is an excerpt from the letter:
Embassy of the United States of America Plot 1075 Diplomatic Drive Central District Area, Abuja.
NONPAYMENT REGARDING FOR THE PANAWL SUMMIT ATTENDANCE OF NIGERIAN DELEGATES
We would like to bring to your attention that following our last letter of December 2010 to you, regarding our complaints of failure to make payments for service taken by Nigerian dignitaries, under the leadership of the wife of the Vice President of Nigeria (Hajiya Amina Namadi Sambo) to the Oct 2010 Pan African Women Leaders Summit of Washington, DC.
Please find below names of participants whose payments and commitment fees we are yet to receive till date.
Hajiya Amina Namadi Sambo – Wife of the Vice President of The Federal Republic of Nigeria
Professor Dora Akunyili – Former Minister of Information & Communication
o Nigerian Television Authority
Honorable Amina Dalhat – Kaduna State Assembly
Mrs. Dame Tumini Akogun – Wife of House Leader
Arch (Mrs.) Dooshima Yemisi Suswan – Wife of Benue State Governor {Paid}
Mrs. Jummai Babangida. Aliyu – Wife of Niger State Governor & accompanying persons
Hajiya Farida Dankaka - Private
Hajiya Zainab Maina – Federal Minister for Women Affairs
Mrs. Idoko - Accompanying person to Benue state Governor’s wife
Kubra Dankani Hassana Baashir Hassan – Entourage of Hajiya Sambo
Zayyad H. Abdulsalam – Entourage of Hajiya Sambo
Mansur Nuhu Bamalli – Entourage of Hajiya Sambo
Amina Lukat – Entourage of Hajiya Sambo
Suleman Dabo – Entourage of Hajiya Sambo
Abubakar Kundi Dauda – Entourage of Hajiya Sambo
Amina A. Dutse – Entourage of Hajiya Sambo
Dauda Ibrahim Mohammed – Entourage of Hajiya Sambo
Abiola Olusola Titus – Entourage of Hajiya Sambo
Opara Richard Koirimonu – Entourage of Hajiya Sambo
ASP Eric Aharanwa – Entourage of Hajiya Sambo
Mrs. Adeyemi - Director of the Ministry of Women Affairs
Mrs. Oladipo - Ministry of Women Affairs
Mr. Tony Momoh - Ministry of Women Affairs
Mr. Ghali Mohammed - Ministry of Women Affairs
The total amount due Pan African Women Leaders Networks including accrued interest is in the sum of $528,000.00 (Five hundred and twenty eight thousand dollars only) which includes but not limited to participation/registration fees, late fee charges, sponsorship registration fees, and accrued interest.
Entry and visas to the United States of America were granted to these individuals based on the fact that they would be attending the Pan African Women Leaders Summit. This group is set to attend an event in Atlanta, Georgia on July 29th to 31ST, 2011; utilizing the visas previously acquired to attend The Pan African Women Leaders Summit of 2010
Numerous resources are required to construct and convene a conference of any size, but that is especially so for conferences tailored to host foreign dignitaries. We organized an event with the goal of benefiting all parties involved (both Nigerian and American participants) by establishing a positive relationship between them and unifying their efforts and goals to encourage women in society. Meetings with the District of Columbia US Congress woman and the United States Capitol visit were also scheduled by the event organizers.
The Pan Africa Women Leaders’ Network is committed to promoting bilateral relationship between the United States and Africa countries. a reason why we have not taken legal action in retrieving this outstanding debt. Our several letters of demand has yielded no response but unfulfilled promises.
Your cooperation will be highly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Ivy P. Simon
Pan African Women Leaders Summit”
In response to this letter, the Embassy, instructed one Mr Seye Aluko, who works for the Embassy as a Lawyer, to write a “Cease and Desist,” warning letter to Mrs Olubufumi claiming that “The Pan Africa Women Leaders’ Network, the organization that you purport to be the “CEO” of, never registered to do business in the District of Columbia, which is a violation of D.C. code title 47, chapter 28."
Mr Aluko also threatened the lady thus: “If you choose to continue your course of action by harassing the Office of the First Lady with your payment demands, The Embassy will take swift action and report your malfeasance to the proper agencies, which will ensure that you are prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”
Responding to Mr Seyi Aluko, Mrs Olubufumi also wrote in part:
“The 2010 Pan African Women Leaders Summit hosted in Washington DC was just one of the events that Cazogie Global communications (CGC Consultants LLC) consulted for; the event’s goal was to project the image of Nigeria and Nigerians positively to the American and the international communities. Your sabotage of the summit and subsequent circumvention of the event which you turned into a political jamboree by chanting the political slogan of PDP to the embarrassment of the selected invitees and organizers during the summit’s opening session further worsened the already negative image Nigerians already suffer.
“Mr. Ambassador, what do you call the failure by the Nigerian attendees under the leadership of Mrs. Amina Sambo to make payment for services received, collecting conference materials, and subsequently report in Nigerian media and other international newspapers (Allafrica, VOA, etc) of the Nigerian Women Leaders attending the Pan Africa Women Leaders Summit to promote Nigeria women leadership considering the fact that these trips were made with tax payers money?
“Mr. Ambassador, had your embassy been well informed, it would know that any company registered in the US is permitted to operate within all states in the US. The embassy’s derogatory letter is both undermining and slander to my company and myself personally as a Nigerian business woman.”
In another letter written by this victim of Mr Adefuye’s greed and sent to Mr Omoyele Sowore pleading with him to publicize her predicament on Saharareporters, and seen by Elombah.com, Mrs Olubufumi wrote:
“An earlier reason given by the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for non payment was to The Pan African Women Leaders was the Summit had not been prepared to host the Second Lady - Hajiya Sambo - and delegates for our event scheduled for October 2010.
“In addition to these, we hold in our records numerous contracts for Venue, catering, speakers, and all personnel involved in bringing this event together that we still had to assume all liability for.
“We hope the attached documents will give you some ideas of just how prepared we were for a participating party that was not prepared themselves, while the Embassy (under the pretense of protocol) circumvented the event, making use of our name and an opportunity we provided to run a parallel program and changing the cause of our goal.
“1. Letter from the Mayor
“2. Booking confirmation for the Capitol Hill Tour (an event which included a meeting with Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton)”
But Inexplicably, Mr Sowore, refused to intervene, Elombah.com was told.
