The O.B Lulu-Briggs Foundation has sounded it loud and clear that it has nothing to do with the gubernatorial candidate of the Accord Party in Rivers State, Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs.
The foundation came out with this in reaction to a publication by a national newspaper wherein it attributed the foundation’s kind gestures to flood victims in Ahoada West local council of the state to the guber candidate.
The statement signed by Dr. Mrs. Seinye O.B. Lulu-Briggs, Chairman, Board of Trustees, O. B. Lulu-Briggs Foundation stated alleged that the Accord gubernatorial candidate who is also the step-son of the BOT chairman has contributed “nothing but discord to inhibit the growth and success of the O. B. Lulu-Briggs Foundation for more than 20 years.”
It wondered why glory for the foundation’s interventions would now be given to someone who has not contributed anything to its successes.
The statement reads:
“The attention of the O. B. Lulu-Briggs Foundation has been drawn to a publication by Guardian Newspapers at guardian.ng on November 11, 2022, about the Foundation’s intervention in assisting and offering medical treatment to flood victims at Akinima, Ahoada West Local Government Area in Rivers State.
The said publication titled: “Lulu-Briggs Foundation donates N60m items to flood victims” is fraught with deliberate falsehoods.
Firstly, the name of the Foundation is O. B. LULU-BRIGGS FOUNDATION and not Lulu-Briggs Foundation.
Secondly, the said publication unfortunately used a photograph of Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs, projecting him as being associated with the O. B. Lulu-Briggs Foundation.
The matter was made worse by these falsehoods being knowingly propagated across several WhatsApp groups, Facebook and other forms of social media by one Joi Nunieh.
This has resulted in countless inquiries from partners, associates and well-meaning friends of the O. B. Lulu-Briggs Foundation, hence the necessity of this clarification:
1. Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs is not a member of the Board of Trustees of the O. B. Lulu-Briggs Foundation and has never been associated with the Foundation.
2. Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs has a history of animosity towards the setting up of the O.B. Lulu-Briggs Foundation to honour and coordinate the legendary philanthropy of High Chief Dr. O. B. Lulu-Briggs in reaching the unreached and uplifting lives.
3. Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs’ animosity began as far back as May 28, 2003, when he took out an advert in Thisday newspaper to publicly register his objections to the formal registration of the Lulu-Briggs Life Foundation – as the O.B. Lulu-Briggs Foundation was then called.
4. In that advertorial Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs stated among others that:
– Mrs. Seinye O.B. Lulu-Briggs was not entitled to be a Trustee of a Foundation she established because according to him it was too early in her marriage for her to use her legitimate surname (Lulu-Briggs) to start a Foundation in honor of her husband, High Chief Dr O. B. Lulu-Briggs.
He wrote:
– “As welcome as they are, and always will be, we cannot yield to persons who only became Lulu-Briggs two years ago, the responsibility, honour, abuse, joy or pain as Trustees or howsoever coined, of the name or Foundation established for whatsoever purpose or need in the name of Lulu-Briggs.”
5. Following the malicious objection of Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs to the formal registration of the Lulu-Briggs Life Foundation, the High Chief himself authorized the use of his name “O. B. Lulu-Briggs” and thereafter the Foundation named after him “O. B. LULU -BRIGGS FOUNDATION” was established by his wife Dr. Mrs. Seinye O.B. Lulu-Briggs. This was to enable the Foundation to formalize its work, which had already begun two years earlier.
6. Since the formal registration as O. B. Lulu-Briggs Foundation, Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs has contributed zero value to the O.B. Lulu-Briggs Foundation’s success. Indeed, he has tried to undermine its work, including laying claims to our assets, and being linked to attacks on our personnel.
It is therefore distasteful, shameful and offensive to find that a man who has sown nothing but discord to inhibit the growth and success of the O. B. Lulu-Briggs Foundation for more than 20 years, is now seeking to reap political mileage from our humanitarian work in helping flood victims in Akinima, Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers State, Nigeria.
The public, our friends in the media and Guardian Newspaper in particular, must please note that Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs is by no means affiliated with the O. B. Lulu-Briggs Foundation and should not be associated with our work in any degree or manner.
We take serious exception to the manipulation and distortion of the news about our work and expect that it would not be repeated going forward”.
