Dele Momodu, a former Director of Strategic Communications of the Atiku Abubakar Campaign Committee, has denied allegations of contracting one Black Diamond Kitchen in 2022 to supply Small Chops and owing the outfit the sum of N380,000.
Momodu, a former presidential candidate, said he has never met such a person or visited any Black Diamond Kitchen in Abuja.
A staff of Black Diamond Kitchen, identified as Ifeoma Obu, had accused Momodu of owing the outfit the sum of N380,000.
Obu claimed that Momodu had contracted the kitchen during the 2022 presidential campaign to provide small chops and other services worth N380,000.
During that period, Momodu was the Director of Strategic Communications of the Atiku Abubakar Campaign Committee.
Obu said the small chops were needed for a political event and it was supplied alongside waiters who served the food at the Abuja event.
In a video forwarded to DAILY POST, Obu could be heard saying that Momodu has refused to pay since then.
Obu said: “Good evening sir, my name is Ifeoma Obu, a staff of Black Diamond Kitchen and in 2022,r Dele Momodu contacted us for the supply of Small Chops for a political event which was delivered.
“Up till date, there is no sign of payment. My boss just contacted me yesterday that I should make this video and I would be glad if the payment is made.”
Commenting on the matter, the Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, Lere Olayinka, said small businesses were suffering because of debt from people like Momodu.
Olayinka disclosed that he has paid N200,000 from the debt, while giving the veteran journalist one week to offset the balance.
According to Olayinka: “In 2022, during the Presidential Election Campaign, Egbon Dele Momodu contracted BLACK DIAMOND KITCHEN to supply SMALL CHOPS worth and provide other services worth N380,000
“Dele Momodu was Director of Strategic Communications of the Atiku Campaign Committee.
“Because of debts from people like Dele Momodu, that Small food business of SAMSON AYINDE has collapsed. IFEOMA OBU, the staff of Black Diamond Kitchen, who handled the business transaction has also relocated to the village.
“Well, I have paid N200,000 out of the N380k Buoda Dele Momodu is owing for service rendered, remaining N180k. I hope he pays the balance, but if by this time next week, the debt is still not paid, I will help him to pay so as to clear his name from Black Diamond Kitchen’s book of DEBTORS. Ko ju bee lo.”
When contacted by DAILY POST, the owner of the outfit corroborated what Obu said, adding that all efforts to get Momodu to offset the debt had failed.
He said: “That is very true, a good Samaritan actually made part payment for the service we provided in 2022 for a political event he had at Legacy in the FCT.
“Nothing was paid, it was agreement-based and since then we tried all our possible best to get the payment then but to no avail, so we just forgot about it.
“He assigned somebody to come to us which he assented and he was also there, which is not the first time. It’s a debt that I see as a bad debt for that person not to pay. I just feel relieved and happy for the person that made the payment. I’m so grateful.”
However when DAILY POST contacted Dele Momodu, he said: “If Black Diamond Kitchen claims I’m owing them, the company should go to court. They are just trying to scandalize my name.
“The only Black Diamond I know is owned by Eko Hotels, the Chagourys. The person saying that is having mental issues.
“How can I have staff yet be contracting somebody? I have never done that in my life. The only reason I called you is because you are a colleague. Me owing N380,000 is insulting as the Director of Strategic Communications of the Atiku.”
