Popular singer and activist, Eedris Abdulkareem, has faulted the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, on claims that denied financial assistance during build-up to 2019 general election spurred him into releasing his new song, adding that the minister was only being economical with the truth after he dropped the song.
He added that since the song titled “Jagajaga Reloaded”, was used to speak truth to power, the message in it had unsettled those currently at the helms of affairs, hence the reaction from the lawyer turned politician.
The singer noted that the claims by Keyamo that he resorted to blackmail after failing to extort money from All Progressives Congress (APC) stalwarts in supporting President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration during the reelection bid.
Reacting to the minister’s claim in a social media post, the veteran musician maintained that following the release of his song, those he described as ‘cabal’ began feeling the heat and the minister allegedly turned to immediate ‘blackmailer’ trying to soil his name.
He added that contrary to Keyamo’s claim, the issue raised in the song, a remix of his 2004 hit of the same title, featuring Mr. Raw & Madarocker, was the harsh reality faced daily by Nigerians, such that had continuously signalled that the current administration was missing in action.
“With a vexed spirit, I went again to the studio for “Jagajaga Reloaded” and the Blackmailer went to town. The cabal is awoken. The cabal is hit. The cabal is in pain. The cabal is failing. The cabal will FALL.
“The Blackmailer said recorded a song for Buhari. The said song is titled: “Obasanjo Write Buhari Letter”. Here is the link to that song, listen and you will phantom the deviousness and dubiousness of the evil SAN (Senior Advocate Blackmailer of Nigeria) called Festus Keyamo.
“Issues raised on Jagajaga Reloaded are facts. Nigeria never had it so bad. The Jagajaga has taken a gargantuan dimension. We must keep asking questions. We must ask the cabal questions.
“Festus Keyamo don join the cabal. He is in pain because his next ambition is to be governor of Delta State. Perhaps to localise grand looting, terrorism, murdering and raping of our citizens, kidnapping, which his cabal have romanticised and packaged as banditry, and sundry other mis-governance. This is why Jagajaga ti get e!,” the post read.
It would be recalled that the minister backed in a series of posts on his verified social media handles while replying the singer released screenshots of text message exchanges between himself and the rapper.
Furthermore, he described the song as a cheap attempt by the rapper to hit back at him, adding that the failure of the singer to extract money from the government was behind his attack on the administration.
“Eedris Abdulkareem just released a song, ‘jagajaga reloaded’, where he waxed the following lyrics, “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 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.
“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 then switched to the fact that he wanted a loan to pay for his hotel bills to the tune of N1.3 m & to cater for his ‘sick mum’.
“That was already running into more than N3m. However, one govt functionary called me to say he told him another story that his child was sick.
‘‘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,” the minister wrote.
