By Luminous Jannamike
Abuja — Money matters appears to be at the centre of a rift between maverick entertainer, Charles Oputa a.k.a Charlyboy, who is also the chief convener of a good governance advocacy group, OurMumuDonDo Movement, and a popular activist, Deji Adeyanju, Vanguard can confirm.
Nigerians were shocked to learn of Deji Adeyanju’s resignation from the group he co-convened to hold government accountable; upon which he was arrested severally and put behind bars for criticising the policies of the Federal Government.
“Dear Nigerians, , I have resigned my membership of OurMumuDonDo. I no longer have confidence in the leader of the movement, CharlyBoy. He betrayed the cause while I was away in prison and compromised with the oppressors. Thank you,” he had written on Twitter
Vanguard gathered that other reasons behind the breakup of the two partners within the civil society space, had to do with Charlyboy’s alleged disregard for due process and accountability in the handling of the finances of the movement.
His deafening silence during Deji’s recent incarceration was perceived by some members of the group as a sign of betrayal and compromise with those behind Adeyanju’s travail.
However, in an exclusive chat with our correspondent, Charlyboy dismissed the allegations against him as cheap blackmail; noting that Deji’s grouse had to do with his refusal to transform the group into a platform for seeking personal financial gain.
Hesaid: “Ignore him (Deji), I am not prepared to share any money. We are not in the business of sharing money. We are not a political party. What we are doing in the group is struggle for a better nation. Deji was at my residence a day before his social media rant. He didn’t tell me anything about his planned resignation from the group. If he had real issues against me, he would have raised them when he came over to my place.”
On his silence during Deji’s recent detention, Charlyboy said he had no comments to make to the press.
Meanwhile, a top member of ‘OurMumuDonDo’ Movement, who pleaded anonymity, defended Charlyboy, saying he has not betrayed the struggle as claimed by Deji in his social media post.
However, he stressed that Charlyboy’s handling of the group’s finances without openness and accountability was a turn-off to members.
The source said, “Part of the reasons behind the rift between them is Charlyboy’s refusal to follow due process in running the affairs of the movement. The issue of transparency and accountability is at the centre of it. A lot of things are unknown to the project team. This has been creating some level of unease.”
He cited the recent financial support OurMumuDonDo got from some international donor agencies to advocate for the signing of social contracts between the electorates and the politicians seeking elective positions before voting in the just concluded general elections as a case that was yet to be resolved.
The source lamented, “We cannot be criticising others outside without following some of those things internally. Do you what it means, if you get XYZ million Naira for a campaign in Sokoto or Anambra and the project team spends about 20 percent and the rest is unaccounted for?”
He however dismissed claims that Deji was disenchanted with the movement because his plans for financial gains were unmet.
“Deji was not even around when we got that (Social Contract Initiative) funding. He was in prison,” he said.
On Charlyboy’s conspicuous absence in all the ‘Free Deji Adeyanju’ campaign members of OurMumuDonDo staged to secure the release of their detained comrade, the source said it was rather personal.
Efforts to reach Deji Adeyanju to speak on the issues between him and Charlyboy proved abortive as at press time because his phones were switched off.