THE Ohinoyi of Ebiraland, Alhaji Ado Ibrahim, has said he was kept in the dark about the reception arrangements to receive President Muhammadu Buhari by the Kogi State Government last December.
According to the traditional ruler, there was no official letter informing him about the visit of President Buhari to the state and that he was only informed of the visit a night before the President’s visit with instruction to stay back in his palace as the president was coming to pay him a courtesy visit and to commission the Ohinoyi’s palace.
The traditional ruler disclosed this in his response to a query issued to him by state government through the office of Kogi State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs to explain his absence from reception ceremonies during the visit of President Buhari to Kogi State on December 29, 2022 to Commission legacy projects by Governor Yahaya Bello.
Ohinoyi’s response to the query reads: “On the 28 of December 2022 at about 8:15 am, I received an unofficial copy of the visit program of Mr. President and I noted that Mr. President was meant to commission the Ohinoyi’s Palace at 10:10 am.
“This observation implied that Mr. President was to commission another Palace other than my current Palace that I have been occupying since I was coronated 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 with 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, Alh. 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 1 heard an earth-moving bomb blast at the rear entrance to my Palace close to the new Mosque across the street at 9:00 am. 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 program and departed to 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 from extolling the pleasure of my dear people to receive him.
“I 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 with my candid, Royal dignity, accepted here in the world internationally.
“It is worth mentioning to enforce gratitude to His Excellency Alh. Yahaya Bello, the Executive Governor of Kogi State, who I have not seen for some time 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 29 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 inquiries about the unfortunate bomb blast that led to the intended disruption of Mr. President’s program, loss of lives of innocent Ebira people, massive damages on my Palace and rancor 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.”
Ohinoyi’s Reply to Kogi Govt’s Query
