Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo has taken a swipe at popular singer and activist, Eedris Abdulkareem.
He explained that his choice of serving in the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government was an honour for him to serve his country.
READ ALSO: Nigeria Legitimacy At High Risk Of Being Affected By Terrorist Groups… WISER
Abdulkareem, in his new song, tagged ‘jagajaga reloaded’ had attacked Keyamo, saying:
“Where Festus Keyamo sef? He don dey chop with cabal o.”
Keyamo took to twitter and released conversations he had with Abdulkareem and how he allegedly begged for money and promised to campaign for Muhammadu Buhari with his body and soul.
He described the singer’s action as a cheap blackmail after the latter didn’t succeed in getting money from him and other top government functionaries.
READ ALSO: Five Suspected Cultists Arrested At Initiation Ground In Ekiti
Keyamo said:
“Eedris Abdulkareem just released a song, ‘jagajaga reloaded’, where he waxed the following lyrics, “where Festus Keyamo sef? He don dey chop with cabal o”.
“I laughed out so loud and even danced to the rhythm too. But there’s a small story behind this poor attempt at blackmail.
“In 2018, when I was named the Director of Strategic Communications for the Buhari Campaign Organisation, Eedris waxed a song in support of Buhari & wanted to join us, albeit for a fee. He then made desperate efforts to see me through text messages from his phone no. 07019691772.
“When I finally met with him, I listened to the songs but told him I had no budget for such or any for that matter.
“I explained that my job was voluntary. It was the same thing I told so many other so-called activists-by-day-and-hustlers-at-night who secretly approached me.
“He begged me to introduce him to Malami (AGF), Amaechi & the SGF and to paint a good ‘PR’ for him. He pledged that he was with us in the campaign with his whole ‘body and soul’. But at this point, I knew he was a desperate hustler who could embarrass me, so I ghosted him.
“Shortly after this episode when he could not penetrate the system to get the money he so desperately wanted, he then endorsed Atiku and called Buhari a ‘fraudster’. But we decided to ignore his weak voice of opposition.
“After our victory, he went berserk and joined every protest against the same Buhari whom he wanted to serve with his whole ‘body and soul’, but needed money to do so. He has been mentioning my name specifically at occasions as if I am the cause of all his troubles in life.
“His reference to me as ‘chopping’ reminds me of the gaffe of then Minister Sunday Afolabi who infamously said Bola Ige was invited to Govt to ‘come and chop’!
“I wish to assure Eedris and any who think being in Govt is tantamount to ‘chopping’, that for some of us (I can’t speak for others) it is just an honour to serve our country and an attempt to move from armchair criticism to a real participant in order to make a difference.
“Finally, we can all sit back and enjoy the ‘jagajaga reloaded’. One of the objectives of the song is to call me out since I ghosted him for attempted extortion – he has now succeeded. Another objective is to help promote the song by my reaction – that he has also achieved.”
© ControlTV 2021.
