Woli Agba, Nigerian comedian, has reacted to backlash over his recent meeting with vice-president Yemi Osinbajo in Abuja.
The comedian was among a delegation of skit makers who visited the vice-president under the aegis of the Nigeria Skits Industry Awards (NSIA) at the presidential villa on Wednesday.
The event has since become a subject of heated discussion among Nigerians on social media, with many users questioning the rationale behind it.
Woli Agba has also come under intense criticism for accepting the invitation to meet Osinbajo, with some accusing him of collecting money during the visit.
Woli stated this in an Instagram post on Friday after fans questioned the motive behind his visit to the presidential villa.
In a post tagged ‘DIRECT ANSWERS TO ONGOING ISSUES’, Wole wrote:
“I did not collect a dime on this trip. The motive behind my visit to the villa has nothing to do with an envelope and none was received by me,” he wrote.
Woli Agba said while the visit was majorly about NSIA, he and his colleagues took advantage of the opportunity to address national issues such as police brutality and Twitter ban.
“Though the reason for our visit to the villa was for NSIA, yet, we seized the opportunity to first present the grievances of we, the youth. #policebrutality#twitterban among others, while we hope for positive change from the govt,” he added.
He also apologised for describing his critics as “programmed robot” in an earlier post, claiming that such was a “misconception.”
“The clause ‘programmed robot’ in one of my comments was a misconception and I sincerely apologise for that,” he wrote.
“I am a youth and a member of the #sorosokegeneration and I am unwilling to be manipulated against what we all stand for.
“I preach good values: morals, respect and integrity (evident in my works).”
His reaction comes after Taaooma, Nigerian comedienne, also apologised for accepting invitation to meet the vice-president.
Their visit however sparked reactions from some Nigerians who claimed that the purpose of the visit was to serve their ‘selfish’ interest and not the public.
