Igala youths have taken to social media to respond to a story published on Kogi Reports on November 16, 2022, in which a group called Igala Vanguard made a ridiculous call for separate dates for the conferment of Chieftaincy titles on Pharmacist Abdulkareem Asuku Jamiu, the Chief of Staff to Governor Yahaya Bello, and other Igala extraction personalities set for the honor on Thursday, November 17, 2022, at the palace of Ata Igala, Idah LGA at 10 am.
Recall that the Ata Igala and Chairman of the Kogi State Council of Traditional Rulers, His Royal Majesty (Dr) Matthew Alaji Opaluwa Oguche Akpa II, revealed in an official letter addressed to the Chief of Staff on Monday 14th November, 2022, that the kingdom is pleased to confer the chieftaincy title of “Ogochi Ata Igala,” in recognition of Asuku’s contribution to the development of the Igala Kingdom.
However, a phony group claimed that, while honoring the Chief of Staff is a positive development, the date of his conferment should not be the same as that of those from the Kingdom.
Responding to the faceless group through the Igala elite platform, the Igala group leader, Arome Jude disclosed that the fictitious Igala Youth Vanguard’s name is a forgery. He went on to show a screenshot of a Google search in which the group used one Engr. Akpa Lawrence as its spokesperson in 2019 while is mistakenly using Akpa Idris as its spokesperson in 2022. According to Arome, the names are being used at random by the person behind the propaganda because he appears to have forgotten the name he used in previous propagandistic publications.
Meanwhile, in response to the story, Omera Oguche revealed via a Facebook comment that the only groups with the authority to make such calls in Igala kingdom are the Igala Cultural Development Association (ICDA), which is the highest social cultural organization in Igala kingdom and the throne of Ata. He noted that the Chief of Staff is a non-tribalistic personality who recently ordered the removal of a controversial tribal agenda billboard spotted in front of the Lokoja government house. The chief of staff’s influence in the development of the Igala land and empowerment of Igala youths has remained unmatched, according to Arome Jude.
An investigation revealed that the person behind the fake group and propaganda is a well-known propagandist whose goal is to sow discord between the government and the Igala tribe.