Nigerian High Commission responds to basketball player, Olumide Oyedeji

Olumide Oyedeji

Last week, ex-NBA player and current team captain of the Nigerian Basketball team, Olumide Oyedeji, went on a Twitter rant about not getting any support from the Nigerian High Commission for his charity basketball clinic for kids in London.

The guy he accused of telling him to go to another country's embassy for support, Mr T.G Adeniyi  has released a statement telling his own side of the story. He claims that Olumide still wrote to them seeking for support after his twitter rants. Interesting. Lol. See his statement after the cut...

My attention has just been drawn to the above stated story and I feel it is only tidy and proper to put the distorted story in its true picture for posterity. Mr. Oyedeji had first visited my office in company of his staff and we exchanged pleasantries. He introduced while he was in my office the idea of his Foundation to me. I saluted and congratulated him for his laurels as a professional basketballer and I assured him of our Mission's support. We exchanged complementary cards I similarly advised him on the procedure to follow for him to pay courtesy call on the High Commissioner. He thanked me and excited by his towering height I requested for a photograph with him and he graciously agreed for a pose. Before he left my office that day I told him of the High Commissioner's crowded programme since the beginning of November, to wit; Commonwealth Summit in Colombo, Srilanka , Mr President's visit and the Assembly of International Maritime Organization etc. He thereafter took leave of my office.

A few days afterwards, He called and I told him his excellency was still attending the IMO meeting and will only available as from 2nd December. But in Mr Oyedeji's wisdom he decided to come to the office and I spoke with him after he had spoken with the Head of Chancery. I repeated to him that the High commissioner was still engaged at the IMO at that was on the 28th of November. He explained to me his effort in the past year to make his presentation to HC. I replied that I was not aware of his initial move to which he told me he was then talking to a different person. I assured him that with a little more patience everything will be fine. Surprisingly , he changed the pitch of his tone and stated he wanted his Foundation to be launched at the Mission without further delay and indeed that was the reason why he came impromptu. At that point I advised him to consider during the launching in our Embassy in the country of his residence as he had told me during our first meeting that he was not a regular resident in the U.K since time was of essence. He paused and hanged his phone.

You may wish to note that Mr Oyedeji has again written to the Mission after posting his story to Twitter seeking audience after the attempted cheap and unnecessary blackmail. I decided to send this mail upon receipt of his letter. I will not make any analysis of his act but I request that this correspondence be published as you have treated his.

Thank You,

TG Adeniyi