We didn’t collect $3.5m to honour Buhari - MLK’s nephew

Farris Isaac Newton, a nephew to the late American activist, Martin Luther King Jr. has expressed displeasure over allegation that the family was paid $3.5million to honour President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja.

Members of MLK family had presented a “commemorative plaque” to President Buhari, during a visit to Nigeria as part of the activities initiated to celebrate a low- key Black History Month and deepening partnership between Africa and its Diaspora.

The honour generated criticisms on social media with some alleging that the award was not genuine, but used to extort money from the Presidency.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, in a statement, said the plaque was presented as a sign of appreciation to Buhari for his fight against corruption.

Farris, a former CEO of the King Centre for five years and a Senior Fellow of the centre, described the allegation as “insulting, and slanderous to the family”.

Speaking with journalists before the delegation departed Nigeria; Farris said he felt every Nigerian should be ashamed of embarrassing and the good name of Luther King family.

Farris was reported to have said Nigerians should give Buhari time, because he is one of the ‘most legitimate leaders’ that the African continent has produced.

“I am the nephew of Martin Luther King Jr and you cannot buy me or any member of my family for that fact. So this fake news, this slander, this lie on the family’s character is a lie. Anything that I have done here or said about your president came from my heart in my brain.

“This is not based on any compensation, no money or in exchange for anything. We don’t slandering the Martin deal like that, the Martin Luther King family which includes three branches that is Martin Luther King Jr., who is the second son, the oldest and matriarch of the family and who is my mother, Dr Christine Farris and my second uncle, AD Williams King but none of us throughout the three branches are buyable or bribeable, we don’t do things for money, we do things on principle.

“I’m insulted and anyone in Nigeria should be ashamed of embarrassing and slandering our good name. We came here to honour your country, your people, to establish a new bond between America and Africa,” he said.