Nigerian Journalist, Kiki Mordi has finally reacted after she was accused of stealing someone else’s story, “Sex For Grades” and winning an international award with it.
Recall she earned a recognition from the International Center for Journalists, ICFJ, as winner of the 2020 Michael Elliot Award for African Storytelling.
Kiki who is a co-founder of Feminist_Co was rewarded for uncovering sexual harassment going on in Nigerian universities with a documentary she produced from an allegedly stolen “Sex For Grades” story.
With the Elliott family & @ONECampaign, we’re thrilled to present Nigerian journalist Kiki Mordi (@kikimordi) the 2020 Michael Elliott Award for African Storytelling. Her documentary uncovered sexual harassment at universities and had a tremendous impact: https://t.co/Drr7yTrJz2 pic.twitter.com/No5jhFy4z5
— International Center for Journalists (@ICFJ) December 9, 2020
A fellow Journalist, Ruona, identified with the handle @RGAMeyer, alleged that the popular “Sex For Grades” story was originally written by someone she called “O.O”.
Ruona then asked Kiki to acknowledge and share whatever prize money accrued to the award with the said “O.O” whose intellectual property she “stole” and won the international award with.
Kiki, make sure this time you at least share whatever prize money there is with O.O and acknowledge her – given this was all her story as pitched, sourced/started.
Real journalists have honour and also hold themselves to account, not just the government. #TruthIsSacrosanct https://t.co/gvmQ42IeFo— Ruona J. Meyer (@RGAMeyer) December 10, 2020
However, Kiki has now reacted to the allegation that her award is a product of intellectual property theft.
According to her, Ruona – a fellow journalist who called her out, is only pained that she keeps winning awards while she remains at the losing end.
She insisted that the “Sex For Grades” story is hers and anyone who needs more answers should channel their questions to BBC that aired the documentary.
Part of her Twitter thread reads, “One minute you’re advising me on how to hog clout and not retweet Fisayo Soyombo’s story. Because I figured you were a vile person, you left me and found your next victim . 50 minutes call the first time you ever spoke to me was to tell me who to hate and who not to hate???
“Just remembered the day Sex For Grades got nominated for an Emmy & I was celebrating with my colleagues, Ruona slipped into my DM to tell me that some guy pitched Sex For Grades and I should give him credit. Covered his name because it’s not really his fault Ruona is a mad woman.
“The other day she went from mental health advocate for Tobore to insulting Tobore because I supported her ?
Then proceeded to tweet that I have sex in exchange for bylines. But get this, I had never even had any bylines credited to me at the time she tweeted that.
“She must tell me what I stole from her that makes her wake up every single day with my name on her lips.
“The point of this particular tweet is that Ruona is a fisherwoman, if you chop her bait you’ll be taken for idiot. If you don’t, she’ll use the idiot that chopped her bait against you. It’s a sad life really.”
Every new day I win an award, Ruona loses it. I will never understand what I did to this woman besides unfollowing her on Twitter?
— Commander of the Feminist Battalion (@kikimordi) December 10, 2020