Okagbare slams Jonathan’s campaign group for unauthorised use of her image

Reigning African queen of the track, Blessing Okagbare, has expressed sadness over the use of her image and footage by a body said to be working for President Goodluck Jonathan’s reelection without seeking her consent.
In an advertorial by GoodHouse Nigeria, tagged GEJ Okagbare, which she said had been running on various electronic media in Nigeria and also on https://youtu.be/rf7A0HuPPa8, the athlete said it was ‘selfish and disrespectful’ for anyone to intrude into her privacy by using her image, footage for a presidential campaign without seeking her approval.
Okagbare, who spoke from her base in Los Angeles, USA on Thursday, said her attention was drawn to the advertorial by friends and relatives in Nigeria about two months ago, adding: “I just wanted to be patient at first, but my agent is not happy because he thinks I am a woman and very far from home too.
“Someone out there is using my image, footage and everything I have worked for to make money through advert and campaign without seeking my approval.
“If an advert is being made with my footage and I am not aware of it, it shows how some of my country men back home can be so selfish, disrespecting and have no regard for people’s privacy.”
After ruling both the Commonwealth Games and the African Senior Athletics Championship, where she won three gold medals last year, the multi-talented Okagbare took a month off her training in October for her wedding ceremony, which took place in her home town, Sapele, Delta State.
Two years ago, Okagbare had lamented during the All Nigerian Open Championship in Calabar, Cross River State that the Federal Government of Nigeria was not doing much to support her athletics career, stressing that the only support she got was from Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan.
She said: “Now, I am here struggling on my own to pay my coach, nutritionist, doctor and others to make sure I am in good shape for the All African Games and the IAAF World Championship in Beijing, China, later in the year, and some people back home are using my image and footage for presidential campaign advertorial without seeking my approval.
“This is fraudulent because I am totally not in support of it. We called the people (GoodHouse Nigeria) and they denied using my image and footage for PDP presidential advertorial. Who did it then? Why are they lying?”
Organisers of the Good House Nigeria group could not be reached last night for their side of the story.
ThisDay.