Beware: Dr. Kelly Nwogu Exploiting Disabled Persons In Fraudulent Media Philanthropy

By Dumbiri Frank Eboh

I wish to use this piece to draw the attention of the general public (and indeed that of donor agencies) to the nefarious and fraudulent activities of Dr. Kelly Nwogu, the MD/CEO of Blue Sea Estate.

Several physically challenged persons in Nigeria have had their public image violated by Kelly Nwogu who, posing as a philanthropist, use them as publicity stunts to deceive donor agencies. I am one of the victims of this dubious scheme.

I first got to know Dr. Kelly Nwogu on a radio show, ‘Better Naija’ ( a Wazobia FM radio program dedicated to people with disability ) in which he reeled out a list of lofty empowerment programmes which he said he was organizing for PWDs in Nigeria.

I was quite impressed because I belong to the school of thought that believes that it is better to empower PWDs than to give them alms in form of beggars along the streets. Little did I know that what I just heard was a pack of lies calculated to deceive the unsuspecting public.

I noticed however that he concluded by making a passionate appeal to both local and foreign donor agencies, whom he said should come and support him with funds as he alone ‘cannot do it alone.’ This appeal was to later become a norm in his subsequent media apperances on the issue.

I called into the show and informed him of a publication project which I had and which was still on the pipeline because there was no seed capital to kick start it. He said I should bring a formal proposal to his office which I did the next day(I even enclosed copies of the pilot edition of the publication in the proposal).

But I soon found out that the Kelly Nwogu I heard on the radio was different from the one I met in the office. Even though my proposal was accepted and acknowledged, they kept asking me to come almost every other week. When I got tired of going to his office and realized that he was not going to live up to his promise, I called it quit; and this article would not have been written but for something that happened on January 1 this year at the National Stadium.

Before them, Telly Blind (the anchor of the Better Naija Show) told me to come to Wazobia FM, so that I can meet Dr. Kelly Nwogu in his presence – since it was in his show that I met Dr. Nwogu. I went and Nwogu said I should make sure I came to an event at National Stadium on January 1 where he said the empowerment project will kick off.

That same day, Dr. Kelly Nwogu went on air to tell Nigerians that he was going to feed and empower 40, 000 (Forthy thousand) disabled Nigerians on January 1. According to him, not only would they be empowered, we will make sure that each of them go back home with one bag of rice. When I calculated how much it would take to give one bag of rice each to 40, 000 people, I knew it was unrealistic. And I was proved right because on the deed day, instead of the 40, 000 bags of rice, there was just three bags, which was shared one derica each to the few people that had access  to it. Some of these people transported themselves all the way from Ikorodu -  to get one derica of rice! But the media never knew about this neither did the general public nor the donor agencies whom Dr. Kelly Nwogu had appeal to, to support the project with funds.

When he came to the part of the event that had brought me to the venue (i.e. the empowerment segment) Dr. Nwogu called me and some other persons out to face the crowd and the retinue of media men. He introduced us as those he was empowering to start their business. He said he was bringing us out to face the crowd so that it will be on record because the funds would be disburst the next Friday so that we can start up our various businesses. As usual, he concluded by making his appeal to donor agencies.

I will also like to state here that not only was his wife Mrs Chidioke Nwogu around to witness this; So also were his Father and Mother who herself is a cripple. This makes it quite ridiculous that someone whose mother is a cripple, should be exploiting disabled persons. But he goes to show to what extent some people can go in taking advantage of situations for their selfish ends.

But the Friday that Dr. Nwogu said the money will be disburst, never came. He later shifted it to Saturday when he organized an event in his office in Ajah. That morning, he went on air on Wazobia FM to tell the whole world that he was empowering thousands of PWDs while also the opportunities to canvass for support from donor agencies. The media he brought to that event were hoodwinked and deceived by three sewing machines and three wheel chairs he displayed to them. When we went to him at the end of the event, he said we should send our account details to him the following Tuesday. This was contradictory to what he had earlier told us that morning that, for security reasons, we would be given cheques. I sent my account details but even though his P.A. (Madam Bisi) acknowledged receiving it, the funds never came. She kept postponing and postponing and the last time I spoke with her, she said Dr. Kelly Nwogu would get back to us “whenever he is ready” -  which could be tomorrow or in ten years time.

The media never got to know of this neither did the donor agencies he appealed to. As for me, I have decided to press charges because my public image has been violated; indeed I feel used as a publicity stunt for something that is not genuine. So also are several others who, unlike me, may not have the platform to speak out. Thus, the real essence of this article (which will be forwarded to leading National Dailies in Nigeria and abroad) as I earlier stated, is to actually alert the general public (especially local and foreign donor agencies) to be wary of Dr. Kelly Nwogu, the MD/CEO of Blue Sea Estate, and his many antics.

Dumbiri Frank Eboh is a visually challenged, Lagos based Journalist, writer and a former Publicity Secretary, Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) Lagos State chapter. He could be reached on ebogenius2@gmail.com