By Akogun Tai Oguntayo
Hmmmmm, politicians!!! This is serious. Maybe this is why some people may not see me as a good politician because I hate to see people seamlessly engaging in self pontification. How many letters or essays will MOB write before this primary election and how many lies will he tell or not tell? He or his agent wrote the first article tagged; *”Mischief Makers Are on the Prowl Again”* where he described himself or was described as a non-violent man. While I was still trying to juxtapose this with the unprecedented violence that trailed his campaign in every town of Ekiti during his governorship ambition in Labour Party in 2014, I stumbled on another epistle titled; *#5th #Columnist #at #work*
What got me pissed off in this is the mindless attack on ThisDay’s reporter, Victor Ogunje, who wrote the detailed analysis of Ekiti governorship report which MOB’s second unsigned reaction attempted to condemn. Interestingly, Victor Ogunje, the Ijan-Ekiti born journalist was the right hand man of Sen. Opeyemi Bamidele and if there is any Ekiti based journalist whoever promoted MOB in his writings, it is Victor Ogunje. Despite the fact that MOB is always too busy to pick people’s phone calls, he picks Victor Ogunje’s phone calls at first dial. Not once, not twice in my presence had several people called MOB without response at the spot where Victor would call him and he would pick it instantly. So at what point did Victor Ogunje become hungry journalist, Cash and Carry journalist, brown envelope journalist, hack writer, hollow reporter, 5th columnist, etc, etc? For avoidance of doubt, Victor Ogunje is the current Chairman of the Corredpondents’ chapel in Ekiti State who has consistently worked as journalist in Ekiti without a foray into another discipline. In short, he’s a thorough bred journalist anyone can boast of anyday.
Why am I so concerned about this attack on the reporter? One, I want to attest to Victor Ogunje’s integrity as my mentee who I did not only teach in journalism class but as someone who held forte for me while I was a State Bureau Chief of a newspaper in Ekiti for months without blemish while I was in Europe. He started working with Champion newspaper 15 years ago before crossing over to This day.. Can we now say such a person doesn’t know the terrain where he operates? Does such a journalist need to be spoon-fed before he writes what he sees on ground? Two, I want to lend credence to the report as contained in ThisDay as nothing but the facts. I read it from the beginning to the end, I didn’t see any mischief or handwriting of any 5th columnist in it because non of the aspirants was spared in the report. Did MOB want the reporter to single him out and praise him to high heavens or what? On the issue of the bullet MOB received at the 2018 reception rally, did the reporter lie by saying that MOB and his supporters are now capitalizing on it at every slightest opportunity? Is it a lie that that singular incident paved way for his unopposed candidature for Ekiti Central Senatorial ticket? So, in what way was the reporter callous by referring to it?
What of what the reporter said about Kayode Ojo that he only relied on money to win the election without any manifesto? Why didn’t Kayode Ojo take him to the cleaners? That’s maturity on the part of Kayode Ojo. What of what he wrote about Dayo Adeyeye that he always jumped from one party to another without any principle but only relied on Asiwaju Tinubu’s SWAGA to win election in Ekiti? Why didn’t Adeyeye call him unprintable names? That’s professional understanding on the part of Adeyeye because a reporter who writes what you consider negative report about you today may write positive one about you tomorrow if you deserve it. What of his comment on Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji, who the reporter said would be controlled by Otunba Niyi Adebayo and Dr Kayode Fayemi if he wins? Why didn’t BAO take the reporter up for misjudging him as a leader that doesn’t have a mind of his own? What of Bamisile and Faparusi who he considers as not being on ground at all despite the fact that Fappy is moreorless Victor Ogunje’s childhood friend?
My take is that MOB and his supporters should go into the 177 wards to showcase his campaign blueprint to the delegates before it’s too late. Primary election is not won on social media or in the pages of newspaper. The truth is that the delegates are no fools! If any aspirant is basking in the euphoria of having bought rice for party members years back or paying office rent of the party for ten years, were all these done for free? For an individual to join Ekiti politics in 2003 and rose from the House of Reps member to Senate, is it a joke? If contribution to party is measured based on consumables, how many bags of rice or buses can someone take away from 8 years in the National Assembly both in the upper and lower Chambers? Pls let’s think twice in our write-up at least to know that some of us have also been here in Ekiti politics for quite some time.
Former State Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and retired director with the Broadcasting Service of Ekiti State (BSES), Chief Laolu Omosilade, has joined the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Afao Ekiti, hometown of the former governor of Ekiti State, Mr Ayo Fayose on Sunday January 16, 2022. Receiving the journalist in his hometown yesterday, the State Chairman of the party, Mr Paul Omotoso expressed delight that the party is waxing stronger in Afao Ekiti, the hometown of the former governor of the State, Mr Ayodele Fayose. The ward Chairman, Mr Oke Adejorin presented Chief Omosilade to State Chairman. According to the APC State Chairman who was accompanied by his Deputy, Mr Sola Elesin and other State officers, “just as Chief Omosilade is a big fish, our party is also the biggest and most recognized in Nigeria and in deed Africa. That’s why this combination is a good development in our State.” He enjoined every member of the party in the town to extend.
A yet -to-be identified man who is believed to be in his 50s has committed suicide today, Wednesday 2nd May, 2018, by plunging from the 5th floor of the Administrative Building of the University College Hospital (UCH) in Ibadan. Eyewitnesses said all they saw was the man landing with a thud on the concrete floor outside the Mortuary Department of the hospital. It was later discovered that he jumped from the 5th floor of the building. The Public Relations Officer of the hospital, Mr Deji Bobade, said a doctor detailed to check on the yet-to-be-identified man, certified him dead. He said police were invited and that the remains of the man had been deposited at the hospital morgue. The circumstances surrounding his decision to end his own life are yet to be established. The police are yet to comment. Hospital workers are currently on strike.