Kemi Olunloyo defends Bobrisky, says Nigerians are pre-set to discriminate

Controversial media personality Kemi Olunloyo is stoutly defending the choice of Nigeria’s self-acclaimed male Barbie, Bobrisky whose inclusion as a panelist at the on-going “New Media citizens and governance conference” holding in Abuja is causing rancour.

Kemi says while weighing in on the issue on her Twitter page, that Bobrisky’s inclusion which has caused uproar and also made three speakers at the event to pull out, is valid considering the fact that he has a huge presence on Nigerian Snapchat, while noting that race, sex, sexual orientation, religion, tribe or nationality of one of the speakers has no bearing on the seminar.

Read her reaction below;

“We as Nigerians have been ignorantly programmed to hate or discriminate because of our tribalism and religious values which have made us move backwards in our country. A very fast rising and enterprising social media personality

Bobrisky has caused a seminar moderator from a respected consulting firm to quit her appearance from a new media seminar. Alder Consulting’s tweet “As an Executive Member of Alder, @subomiplumptre cannot participate in this event as it violates the brand values she’s a custodian of” is total garbage and just ruined that very brand.

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“I founded Keminications Media and Public Relations in 2004 in the USA and represented many famous clients and moderated seminars along the way.

“The race, sex, sexual orientation, religion, tribe or nationality of one of the speakers has no bearing on the seminar. In this case this is a seminar that focuses on new media. Several new media seminars in Nigeria are a complete waste of time and end up failures because the panel was never right with many boring speakers.

Personalities like Bobrisky are a perfect crowd puller who also has a huge presence on Nigerian Snapchat like DJ Khaled is called the King of Snapchat in America. I was called the Facebook Drama Queen for years because of my intense discussion on social issues on that platform.

“Last year I became the 9th Top influencer on twitter in the world and one of the top 3 influencers on social media in Africa. My appearances are very limited in Nigeria but giving that example, Bobrisky, Denrele Edun, Omojuwa and others are perfect speakers at such events back home.

“Their personal lives and style should not be the focus and factor that could ruin Alder’s brand. This kind of PR disaster on Alder’s part had just elevated Bobrisky’s career. Alder was pressured by social media haters who trended Bobrisky on 10/25/16 stating that the end of the world has come if he was a speaker at a seminar not even researching what sort of seminar it was. Alder Consulting and Subomi Plumptre caved in to discriminatory pressure and hate.

“My advice to EIE Nigeria is to keep using the outspoken youth to elevate Nigeria as most are afraid to speak out on issues. Bobrisky was the perfect choice for a speaker there. Subomi Plumptre made a choice to distant herself from the panel stating it was not the “original one she was invited to.” She therefore discriminated and harboured hate. If Oprah Winfrey or Beyonce were added to that panel, I doubt if she will remove herself from it or complain that it wasn’t the original one she was invited to. Ignorance does not excuse stupidity. The fake attitude Nigerians exhibit in the corporate world is one that is dragging us down as a whole.

By Ahmed Boulor…

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