Working With Tonto Dikeh For Six Years Was Hell

There is currently a tussle between a former board member of the Tonto Dikeh Foundation, Bunmi Fagbuyiro, and the star actress.

During the week, Fagbuyiro cried out on social media that if anything happened to him or any member of his family, Dikeh should be held responsible.

When Sunday Scoop got in touch with him, he explained that he used to work with Dikeh but had to resign when he couldn’t tolerate her (excesses) any longer. He stated, “We used to work together but she is not exactly a good woman. I tried to tolerate her but it got to a point when I felt I deserved some respect and left the foundation. When I told her I was leaving, she became bitter towards me and called me many unprintable names. But I didn’t mind as long as I didn’t steal from her. She is the type of person who doesn’t like to pay salaries; she doesn’t want to be responsible for anything.”

According to Fagbuyiro, the actress got him arrested for no reason. He said she sent him a message that once she paid him, he should return all the company’s properties with him and he didn’t object to it. He added, “A week after she sent me the message, she came with some SARS officers to arrest me. They were supposed to beat me but they were gentle with me after I told them what transpired between us. She collected all her things from me and told the SARS officers that she would pay me the next day. Meanwhile, she didn’t pay until four months later.

“I have known her for 10 years but we worked together fully for six years. It was hell working with her. Everyone who had worked with her didn’t leave on good terms, but I thought I could coexist with her. I took my time to study her and I observed her temperament. I even tried to help her psychologically.”

Fagbuyiro said he had asked to be removed as a signatory to the NGO’s bank account twice but his name was spelt wrongly and the documents were rejected by the bank. “When she called me that my money was ready but I needed to sign a document, I obliged. Unfortunately, the two times I signed, they didn’t spell my name correctly on the documents. This has made them unable to withdraw money from the foundation’s account,” he added.

He explained that since he was arrested, he had not heard from Dikeh directly but through her management. “When her manager, Chris Odeh, called me that I needed to sign again, I was furious because I wasn’t in town. She talks to me through her management. Odeh was also the one who showed me the threat message she sent to me. I also have a recording of how they planned to destroy me,” he stated.

Fagbuyiro said he was ready to settle the issue amicably but the actress wasn’t ready to take the blame. “Yesterday (Wednesday), I was invited by the police for a meeting and she was there too. After the policeman went through all the signed papers I presented, he asked her to apologise to me. She said she could not say sorry and walked out,” he stated.

However, in a chat with Sunday Scoop, Odeh said he was not Dikeh’s manager but a friend. He stated, “I really have nothing to say about this because I wasn’t there when they registered the NGO. The only thing I know is that Tonto Dikeh raised funds for an ailing young boy on social media. The money was paid into her NGO’s account and Mr. Bunmi Fagbuyiro is also a signatory to that account. The bank said she couldn’t withdraw any money without Bunmi’s signature. They advised her to tell him to sign off from the foundation so that she would be the only signatory. I knew Bunmi through Tonto Dikeh and she told me to talk to him as a friend. Bunmi told me he would not sign the document and I delivered the message to her. I am just acting as a mediator so that there wouldn’t be trouble.”