Ekpeson Explains Councillors’ Swearing-In, Dismisses Hotel Claim as Fake News

By Marian Alekhue

The Executive Chairman of Etsako East Local Government Council and Edo State Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Rt. Hon. Sunny Ekpetika Ekpeson, has dismissed as false a viral report alleging that he swore in councillors at a hotel in Benin City, describing the claim as a deliberate attempt to mislead the public.

Ekpeson, while reacting to the video circulated by an online platform, said the footage had been taken out of context and distorted to create a false narrative about the inauguration of the newly elected councillors and other council officials.

According to him, he was in Benin City in the discharge of his responsibilities as Edo State ALGON Chairman when he invited the newly inaugurated councillors to meet with him for an address.

“I simply called my councillors to address them,” he explained.

The chairman noted that unlike some of his colleagues who had returned to their respective local government secretariats to commence official duties, his responsibilities as ALGON chairman required him to remain in Benin City for engagements at the state and national levels.

Ekpeson explained that the existence of a Vice Chairman within the local government administration provides for the delegation of responsibilities when the chairman is unavailable.

“I am in Benin to perform my duty as ALGON Chairman, and I believe that is why we have Vice Chairmen at the local government. Where you cannot perform, you delegate power,” he said.

He disclosed that he consequently delegated the Vice Chairman of Etsako East Local Government Council, Comr. Charles Aloaye Dagana, to swear in the Secretary to the Local Government Council and the 10 elected ward councillors.

Ekpeson said the swearing-in was duly conducted, adding that photographic and video evidence of the exercise was available for verification.

He therefore challenged those behind the viral report to verify their facts before publishing, accusing some online content creators of deliberately circulating unverified information in pursuit of traffic and engagement.

“Whatever fake peddlers are pushing out is just a way for their survival because if they don’t push those things, they won’t have traffic,” he said.

The council chairman said he would not allow what he described as distractions to take his attention away from the mandate given to him by the people of Etsako East.

“My focus is how to give Etsako East people who entrusted me with their mandate to feel the dividend of democracy,” Ekpeson declared.

He said his administration was concentrating on tangible interventions capable of improving the lives of residents, particularly in the areas of security, education and road infrastructure.

Ekpeson highlighted the reconstruction and renovation of schools as well as educational support programmes among the initiatives being pursued by his administration.

He specifically recalled his intervention to assist indigent students with WAEC and JAMB forms, noting that the initiative was designed to ensure that children from financially disadvantaged homes were not denied educational opportunities because their parents could not afford the required fees.

On infrastructure, the chairman said his administration had intensified the grading of roads across the local government.

He disclosed that 64 roads had been graded in Okpella, while 21 roads in Okpekpe were currently receiving attention, with heavy-duty construction equipment already deployed to the area.

“You can go there and see for yourself for verification,” he said, urging residents and members of the public to inspect the projects rather than rely solely on claims circulating on social media.

The Etsako East chairman also appealed to online publishers and content creators to exercise responsibility in the use of their platforms, particularly when reporting matters concerning public officials and government activities.

He warned against deliberately misleading the public merely to generate clicks, engagement and online traffic.
“If online peddlers think posting my name would put food on their table without verification, they should carry on,” Ekpeson said.

Despite the controversy, the chairman maintained that he remained focused on governance and delivering on his promises to the people.

“At least, my name has helped a life. Glory be to God,” he added.

Ekpeson’s response comes as his administration enters a fresh tenure with renewed expectations from residents of Etsako East, following the projects and interventions recorded during his first tenure and the acting period.

The chairman’s position is that the measure of his administration should ultimately be the impact of its programmes on the people, rather than social media controversies or unverified reports.