Posted by Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, the Emir of Ilorin, has criticized a widely shared video showing some people purportedly protesting in front of his palace over the dire economic conditions in Nigeria.
In a statement released on Sunday, Abdulazeez Arowona, the spokesman for the Emir, claimed that the purported video going viral was not recorded at the palace.
According to him, the widely shared film was a component of an occasion that happened in 2019 before the general elections of that year.
“A video that has been making the rounds on social media shows people yelling and bemoaning about poverty and suffering in front of the Emir’s Palace in Ilorin. This has caught our notice.
“We wish to declare unequivocally that the aforementioned video was a part of the incidents that were observed and characterized in the lead-up to the general elections in 2019.” The declaration stated.
The statement stated that the video had nothing to do with the current state of affairs in the nation and that on such occasions, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, the Chairman of the Kwara Traditional Rulers Council and the Emir of Ilorin, would always voice his concerns about the need to make sure that social harmony and peace would always be the norm.
“During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the emir conveyed deep concern and partnered with governments across the board to ensure that the regrettable circumstance was managed. He also actively supported the suffering and concerns of the general public during the Naira currency shortage, which caused hardship across the country, impacting everyone equally, regardless of social, political, or economic standing,” the statement read.
“The Emir and his associates at the Kwara State Traditional Rulers Council level are interacting with government at all levels regarding the necessity of advancing the well-being, safety, and communal life of the state’s populace, while praising the state government for its attentiveness to issues affecting the masses.” The statement went on to say
In order to prevent any misrepresentation of the scenario regarding the gathering’s location as depicted in the video, the statement therefore pleaded with the people of Ilorin and Kwara State as a whole to maintain peace and pray constantly. It also urged the general public to ignore the video that is currently in circulation.