Youth Minister Says BBA Karen’s Accusers Are Sexists...Even As Karen Denies Nude Pictures On Internet!

Minister of Youths Development, Bolaji Abdullahi, has refuted claims that the federal government has endorsed the winner of the just concluded Big Brother Amplified (BBA), Karen Igho, as a youth ambassador. 

Abdullahi, on Tuesday, responded to criticisms that have trailed Karen's visit to his office. While explaining that the visit should not be interpreted as an endorsement of any kind, he hit back at critics of the $300,000 winner as sexists. 

He spoke to journalists on the sidelines of the 'National Conference on Youth in the 2011 Elections and Strategies for Improved Participation in the Democratic Process' organised by the International Republican Institute (IRI) in Abuja. 

"What I see here is a rising tendency to be sexist in this country in a way that is not acceptable," he said. "I mean someone won this competition last year and he was hailed and hosted everywhere like if he was a hero. We didn't know what he did in that house. Now, because Karen is a woman, therefore she is what? If it was a man that went into that programme and did all the escapades, will we be treating him like this?" 

Many opponents have spoken against the unrestrained alcohol use and smoking as well as explicit sexual tone of the programme. Most of Karen's performances bore these hallmarks and ended up helping her to clinch the coveted prize with many acclaiming her for being real. 

"What we did as a Ministry of Youth Development when we were informed that they will like to visit us, I mean, we welcomed them," said Abdullahi. "That does not mean the same thing as endorsing whatever she did or did not do. No one mentioned anything about role modelling. Nobody mentioned anything about being an ambassador.

Meanwhile, In a tweet message she released on Monday, Karen said the raunchy pictures that surfaced online few days into the BBA show were fake and posted by some mischievous people to ruin her chances at the show, but the negative move ended up raising her personality profile at the continental show. She tweeted: "Na wa o, fake naked pics of mine spreading around, just wanna tell you here first, na photo (tricks) and it is not me. I still have love for my haters, you can't curse wat Jah has blessed. May God continue to bless the haters."

Karen had said in an interview with The

NEWS magazine that she's aware that some people intensely hate her and would go any length to spread falsehood about her.

"Fame comes at a big price. There are some people who don't like you but just hate you for nothing. I have realised that is part of the price one has to pay for fame. Definitely, I know that some people will hate me for who I am. but obviously, those negative things are coming from those who don't like me," she told the magazine.