President of Belema Oil Producing Limited, and former presidential aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Tein Jack-Rich, has expressed shock over a recent publication credited to a former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan.
Jack-Rich described the report as provocative, malicious, preposterous, unwarranted, distasteful, and unsubstantiated publication by politically sponsored agents.
The online medium had reported that a certain Mr Jackson Ude, had on his Twitter handle, accused Jack-Rich of allowing his wife, Elizabeth to have sexual relationship with Seyi Tinubu, the son of President Bola Tinubu.
Ude also alleged that the philanthropist had bribed the Chief of Staff to Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, with N500 million so he could be made a minister.
But in a swift reaction, Jack-Rich expressed disbelief that there still existed humans who could stoop so low to smear a fellow human just to score cheap political gains.
A statement on Wednesday by the oil magnate and billionaire businessman’s media team said, “Dear fellow Nigerians, the attention of the family of Mr. Tein T.S. Jack-Rich CON, has been drawn to the recent provocative, malicious, preposterous, unwarranted, distasteful, and unsubstantiated publication by politically sponsored agents within the past two days, making several spurious allegations against the person and family of Jack-Rich, all with the intention of maligning his name and reputation.
“It is also sad that this is with the aim of gaining cheap political relevance within the emerging political space.
“On behalf of the family, we wish to state unequivocally clear and with all sense of responsibility that the entirety of the allegations are not only unfounded and childish, but also depicts the nature and character of the persons and evil elements behind them; who are also well known by their political brigandage and desperation for political relevance.
“We are utterly shocked, that in their attempt to tarnish the image and reputation of Mr. Jack-Rich and his family, some of these political desperados will condescend so low to the extent of making statements that not only attack his personality, but also extending same to the hallowed and revered office of the Chief of Staff to the President, thereby trying so hard to smear his own reputation and by extension, that of the Presidency.
“Let it be noted that this is not the first time the publisher of these falsehoods had tried to malign Mr. Jack-Rich with similar stories, which has become his trademark.
“A similar publication was also made in 2021 by the same Jackson Ude, alleging that Jack-Rich was involved in money laundering activities for former President Muhammadu Buhari.
“This is because Jackson Ude’s pay masters have seen that Jack-Rich is a political actor coming in to add value to national good. Till today, all claims remain unsubstantiated, and Jackson Ude and his political cohorts remain faceless and untraceable.
“Again, the jobless and faceless Jackson Ude has resurfaced with a similar story and narrative, as orchestrated by his sponsors.’’
The humble and soft spoken Jack-Rich’s media team said it had taken time to read al the online spurious publications, and wished to state for the records that the allegation of bribery against him was not only laughable and untrue, but also baseless and spuriously unfounded.
The statement added, “As a senior stakeholder in the ruling Party, the APC where he contested for the presidential primaries and lost to our incumbent President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“And having worked assiduously to help his great party to win the elections, Mr. Tein Jack-Rich, has all it takes to merit an appointment into any office as would be deemed fit by our dear President, and so does not need to bribe anyone in the party he jointly built with others.”
According to the team, the fact is that Jack-Rich is a worthy APC party-man, who has never been a member of any other political party in history.
It added, “His first political journey started with APC in 2014, and has remained faithful since then till date, despite the headwinds and tail winds of politics.
“Those who called APC names, those who called Jack-Rich names for following APC yesterday, those who didn’t see anything good in APC, have suddenly woken from their sleep, seen wealth in APC, hence this vociferous campaign of calumny against the family of a great national promoter.”
The team therefore said, alleging that Jack-Rich bribed or was planning to bribe anyone for ministerial appointment, is just another figment of the convoluted imagination of persons who see him as a major obstacle to their desperate dreams, aspirations, and political desperation for survival because they have lost their own political roots.
It further stated, “Let it be re-emphasised here again that Tein Jack-Rich did not, will not, and will never need to bribe anyone for any political appointment in a party he just recently served as the Vice-Chairman, Finance Committee, of the Presidential Campaign, that his party won.
“So, there was just no need for anyone to sponsor such a campaign of calumny and blackmail against him, except for extreme desperation.
“It is quite shameful that in their quest to derogate Jack-Rich’s personality, the sponsored publication equally made reference to his family; something so petty and quite unfounded, again.’’
The team also refuted the allegations made against Mrs Jack-Rich, describing them as all fabricated and cooked up by the author/s to satisfy his/their sponsors.
“Again, none of their convoluted lies and falsehood ever happened, and will never happen.
“Dr. Mrs. Elizabeth Jack-Rich does not lose any sleep over this fabricated falsehood. So, it is a shame on their sponsors, whose main interest is to promote cheap political commerce to wreck families, scare upcoming political actors who mean well for the country.
“We wish to further add that we are not surprised that this is coming at this point when certain political elements who feel that without them this country will not exist, are running from pillar to post to desperately gain political mileage and attention of the Presidency for one appointment or the other.
And in doing this, they are willing and ready to blackmail and destroy any perceived superior challenge on their path. Such people are by this medium displayingemployee mentality” because they are not employable.
Their interest is to fight employers like Jack-Rich who have contributed billions of dollars value to Nigeria’s economy since his ventures into business in 1998. Nigerians should watch out for such people and their cohorts.
“Let them know that this will not stop what God has already ordained to happen.’’
The team finally urged the general public to beware that these wicked political elements will stop at nothing to implement their plot of misinforming the public against Jack-Rich.
“They will even do much more in the coming days by concocting videos, voices, pictures, and technology enhanced algorithm to smear Jack-Rich and his family, all to score cheap political goals.
“The good news however, is that Nigerian people know them by their antics, their sponsors are also known because their mission is pull down all visionary leadership whose interest is good of the society.
The team therefore, concluded that the oil mogul would not join issues with them any longer, either now or in the future, as it clearly refuted all the falsehood and baseless allegations, so as not to make them appear important.
“My fellow Countrymen, Tein Jack-Rich is an ardent and staunch believer in Mr. President and his shared vision of renewed hope for this great Country.
“Jack-Rich hereby uses this medium to urge all Nigerians to be steadfast and hopeful in the promise our President and Commander in Chief of the
Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu made for a greater and prosperous nation, united under God.
