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Opinion: Critics Misinformed as All Ondo Monarchs Benefit From Statewide Vehicle Distribution
A new report has sharply criticized the wave of misinformation triggered by a Facebook post from Isaac Awe, which falsely claimed that official vehicles were selectively distributed to traditional rulers in Akure South.
The report also faulted an online news platform for republishing Awe’s misleading statements without verification, describing the act as a breach of basic journalistic standards.
According to impeccable sources in Government House, the vehicle presentation in Akure South was only one part of a statewide exercise in which every traditional ruler in Ondo State received an official vehicle.
The sources described Awe’s viral post and the decision of an online publisher to amplify it, as reckless, uninformed, and capable of misleading unsuspecting members of the public.
“The uproar was fuelled by a Facebook post that lacked any factual foundation. Worse still, a media outfit republished it without a single attempt at verification. That is irresponsible,” a senior official stated.
Public affairs analyst, Mrs. Adesewa Farinre, condemned the incident, particularly the behaviour of the media outlet involved.
“The danger is not just in one person posting uninformed claims online. The real problem is when a supposed news platform, which ought to know better, amplifies the falsehood without checking the facts,” she said.
She further emphasized that verification remains the primary tool of journalism, lamenting the rise of copy-and-paste reporting.
“The first duty of a journalist is verification. Unfortunately, some so-called journalists have reduced their work to copying whatever they see online and pasting it as news. That is not journalism — it is laziness, and it misleads the public,” Farinre added.
Community leader Chief Olalekan Olatunji described the entire controversy as a direct result of careless information handling.
“This situation was completely avoidable. One person posted without thinking, and a publisher reproduced it without checking. That is how fake news spreads,” he said.
The report also highlighted the legal and social consequences of circulating unverified or misleading information.
“Nigeria’s laws are clear: publishing false information that can mislead or cause public unrest attracts penalties. Individuals and media platforms must understand that freedom of expression is not freedom to spread falsehood,” the report warned.
Traditional rulers have since reaffirmed that the vehicle distribution covered the entire state.
“Every traditional ruler in Ondo State received a vehicle. There was no selective treatment. Facts should not be twisted.”
The report concludes by calling on media professionals to return to the fundamentals of journalism — verification, accuracy, and responsibility and urges the public to rely on credible, fact-checked information rather than sensational online claims.
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