Mr Felix Otabor, the father of Big Brother Naija season 7 winner, Josephina ‘Phyna’ Otabor, has accused her of abandonment after winning N100m from the reality show and found fame.
Recall that Phyna won the BBNaija ‘Level Up’ edition grand prize of N100 million in 2022.
In a recent interview with Vanguard, Phyna’s father, Mr Felix Otabor, said the reality star doesn’t pick her family’s calls anymore and they have not set eyes on her since the day she was announced the winner of BBNaija season 7, in 2022.
Otabor also said Phyna had asked him to stop being a hearse driver but failed to help him when he stopped, leaving him currently jobless.
He said, “I haven’t seen Phyna, my daughter since she won BBNaija ‘Level Up’ edition last year. She hasn’t returned home since then. I don’t know why? I am a professional hearse driver, and when she won the reality TV show, she asked me to do away with all my old cars, promising to change my life. But since then, I haven’t seen her. And I don’t have a car again. Once in a while, the Vice-Chairman of our association will allow me to drive his own car.
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“I sold all my four cars because, at the time, my daughter won the show. I thought that God had finally answered our prayers. I called her on the telephone, and she said God has blessed us. She asked me to do away with all my old cars, or she would give them out to Aboki, any day she returned. So, instead of allowing her to dash out my cars to scavengers, I decided to sell them as scraps and used the proceeds to renovate my house. And that was the beginning of my suffering. I stopped doing my business because I had no car again. And my neighbours thought I was either stingy or pretending as if my daughter just won a N100 million grand prize. I was the Vice-Chairman of our association, but when I couldn’t show up at our station for some time, they replaced me with another person.
From that moment, things started getting tough for me.I am even looking for somebody that will give me a car on hire purchase. I need help; it has come to that point/. I don’t want to die in silence.’
The 68-year-old ambulance car driver also added that Phyna doesn’t answer their calls again.
Asked why Phyna was snubbing them, Otabor said he had no idea and didn’t know his daughter’s whereabouts.
“I only see her on Facebook or Instagram whenever she shares new photos on these platforms,” he added.
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Reacting to the accusations of abandonment, Phyna wrote on Twitter: “In the history of dragging ….. this is the first time I cried and it touched me. Let’s meet later on Instagram live.”
However, Nigerians have weighed in on the accusation.
A netizen, Susan Dwayne, reacted, “No be to born be the thing, na to born children that will take care of you, just imagine that stupid girl, maybe her parents would have aborted her same way she aborted her children stupid girl.”
Cornel said, “Continue making efforts to bring the family together, and there could be something that is annoying her.”
“A lot of people think 100 million is the answer to their prayers. If you don’t know how to invest and save money, after a year, that money will be gone. Even neighbours were making plans on your daughter’s money. Hahahahhahah. Men especially, please work hard and have something good to fall back on when you retire,” says another user.
The man said, “The idiots will claim the man is lying, but the same fools accused Mohbad’s father of killing murder; they find it easy to bash men for agenda.”
Engineer Jude also commented, “Weep for children of this generation. If only you know the pains your parents go through to see you survive you will honor them.”
Simply Cynthia, on her part, said, “Cos there is probably no cash reward given. She may have found out after winning. This BBnaija show may just be scamming ya’ll. Maybe the winner is only given the platform to explore and get endorsements and then make money. And because they have signed a contract without thoroughly understanding it, they get caught in between. If they talk out, they will be sued cos they have breached the agreement, they keep silent, loved ones will think they are stingy. Una well-done oo in finding fame.”