The Ohinoyi of Ebiraland, Dr Ado Ibrahim has replied the query issued to him by the Kogi State Government, describing the contents of the query as unfortunate and unfair.
The state government had queried the paramount ruler over his absence at the reception organised for President Muhammadu Buhari when he commissioned projects in Okene local government area.
In the three-page response, the Ohinoyi, who is the vice president of the Kogi State Council of Chiefs, said he was informed a few hours to the president’s visit and instructed by the commissioner for local government and chieftaincy affairs, Abdulsalam Deedat, to stay back in his palace for the president’s courtesy visit to him.
In the letter addressed to the commissioner for local government and chieftaincy affairs, he decried the level of injustice exhibited by the state government during the president’s visit.
He said, “There was no official letter informing me about the visit of His Excellency President Muhammadu Buhari … regarding his visit on 29th December, 2022, to commission legacy projects executed by Alhaji Yahaya Bello, the Executive Governor of Kogi State.
“It was only on the night of 28th December, 2022, you visited me at about 9:30pm and informed me that Mr President would be coming to Okene the following day to commission some projects, and that I should stay back in my palace while the president will be coming to pay me a courtesy visit upon his arrival.
“On 29th December, 2022, at about 8:15am, I received an unofficial copy of the visit programme of Mr. President and I noted that Mr. President was meant to commission the Ohinoyi’s Palace at 10:10am. This observation implied that Mr. President was to commission another Palace other than my current Palace that I have been occupying since I was crowned in 1997.
“It is worthy to note that as the Paramount Ruler of Ebiraland, I have not been officially informed of the existence of any new Palace.”
I therefore prepared in compliance to your instruction to receive Mr. President as it is customary in our Traditional Institution and I quickly put together a memorium to present to him to appreciate his 2nd visit to Okene since 1985, when he was received by HRH the Late Ohinoyi of Ebira Alhaji Sanni Omolori. I made an enlarged photocopy of the photograph of the visit close to the chair which I provided during the visit as attached.
“I had just concluded preparations to receive Mr. President when I heard an earth moving bomb blast at the rear entrance to my Palace close to the new Mosque across the street at 9:00am. While I was in the Palace ensuring that the casualties of the unfortunate incident were being attended to, I was informed that Mr. President had concluded his programme and departed for Lokoja. I also discovered that the main wall of the entrance to my Palace had been breached and all entrances to the Palace had been barricaded to make access to and fro impossible. I have been kept in the dark from the reception arrangements and necessary entertainment to welcome Mr. President on his 2nd visit to Okene, and extolling the pleasure of my dear people to receive him.
“l am not and have no intention to ‘exhibit deliberate attitude and actions regarded as bringing Kogi State and Ebiraland in particular to grave disrepute and regarded therefore as quite unbecoming of a revered Royal Father of my status’. All allegations referred to in your letter, especially Paragraphs 3 and 4 are very unfortunate and I regard the same unfairness to my ripe experience and age coupled to my candid, Royal dignity, accepted here in the world internationally.
“ It is worth mentioning to enforce gratitude to His Excellency Alhaji Yahaya Bello, the Executive Governor of Kogi State, who I have not seen for sometimes now, to have informed Mr. President that I was unavoidably absent due to my ill health at his grand reception, while on the other hand a person unknown to me represented me and read out a welcome speech to Mr. President on my behalf, which was not sanctioned by me.
“Finally, in spite of the aforementioned points, it is noteworthy that since the unfortunate incident on the 29th of December, 2022, this Letter of Query is the first communication, written or otherwise from any official of the State to me, without any commiserations or enquiries about the unfortunate bomb blast that led to the intended disruption of Mr. President’s programme, loss of lives of innocent Ebira people, massive damages on my Palace and rancour within my domain.
“Nevertheless, I will continue to reign over the good people of Ebira land with good conscience and conviction, as I have done throughout my reign.”
