By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
Our attention has been drawn to a malicious and very mischievous publication in the Tribune Newspaper and other newspapers sponsored by some insignificant and attention seeking persons in the town on 18th March, 2024.
In an attempt to give credence to their ploy, they employed a juvenile Journalist to write the biased report and released it to the public through the newspapers.
We wouldn’t have bothered replying them but for the uninformed general public particularly Ikole-Ekiti indigenes in the diaspora – for clarity purpose, the people in Ikole are not unaware of the king’s whereabout, he is indisposed like any other human being could be, and he is receiving treatment abroad.
The good thing is that he is recuperating and that was apparent when he addressed the chiefs and a large number of the town’s people on January 20, 2024 via virtual means. Where their journalist got it from that the king has remained incommunicado is what we do not know.
When the king was travelling, he took all necessary steps and procedures by seeking approval from the state government which is the constitutional requirements and he duly informed members of Elekole-in-council and other chiefs.
How does one describe a journalist of a national newspaper who claimed to have come to the town to do a report over the absence of the king but refuse to visit the palace and interview the chiefs there, he, instead, sat somewhere and quoted non existing people.
Even a hundred level journalism student would have been taught objectivity as a quality of journalism.
It is laughable how the Save Ikole Group, SIG, claimed they prevented the youths from protesting and beating up the chiefs, how on earth would Ikole youths resort to these persons of questionable characters for advice? virtually all the acclaimed members of the said SIG have record of one crime or the other and this is a public knowledge, isn’t it incredible how they now claim to be an interventionist on Ikole matter?
We have challenged them and we are doing so for the umpteenth time to mention the names of the youths they met with but they have been unable.
The only youth body in Ikole-Ekiti – Ikole Youth Forum has denied ever planning a protest let alone meeting them.
The good sons and daughters of Ikole are still full of joy over the state specialist hospital in the town that has just been upgraded to a Federal Medical Center and other developments happening in the town in spite the absence of the king.
They could only have gotten the unhappy people they interviewed in their illusions and we are not bothered about that, the sadness can live in them till eternity as long as it does not stop Ikole from developing.
Signed:
Ikole Council of Chiefs.