Organizers of an upcoming award ceremony have denied allegations made by veteran Nollywood actor, Yemi Solade that they demanded payment in exchange for an award plaque.
The 64-year-old actor took to Instagram on Wednesday to share a purported message from the organizers, claiming they asked him to pay for the award plaque.
In the message, the organizers allegedly stated:
“Good morning sir, trust you had a good night rest. I did revert your response regarding sponsorship to the management. However, I think it doesn’t sit well with them as they also disclosed how much the plaques cost. Hence, you can pls attend but the award plaque may not be presented in order to save cost. Thank you for your kind understanding sir.”
The award ceremony is scheduled to take place on December 6 at the Oriental Hotel in Lagos.
Reacting to the claims in a conversation with TheCable Lifestyle, a spokesperson for the event dismissed the allegations, clarifying the process for handling nominees.
“It is not true. His name has not been removed. What we do is when we nominate people, our contract staff reach out to them to confirm their attendance. And then, whoever is in charge of that is given permission to contact their nominees,” the spokesperson explained.
The spokesperson further noted that while nominees may be asked for sponsorship support, such contributions are not mandatory.
“For direct staff, if they ask for support from the nominees for logistics, it is not compulsory. But if the nominee is generous and wants to make a donation, you can collect it. And the company will get a commission,” he added.
The organizers assured that all plaques had been produced and would be presented to the awardees, irrespective of any financial contribution.
“I can confirm that he is part of the awardees. You will receive (the) award whether or not you make any kind of donation,” the spokesperson stated.
