“By nature, one always dismisses the writings of Erasmus Ikhide, a self-acclaimed publisher, global editor and self-edified columnist of a foolishly pugnacious online media platform called Trojan News Media. But for the purpose of setting the records straight, it may be important to, for once, react to the flagrant and open lies perfumed with chronic blackmail peddled in the infamy of his recent writeup entitled ‘Stakeholders Slam Ambrose Alli University’s Management Over Illegal Appointment of Aladenika as Head Corporate Communications.’ This was a writeup intended to cry wolf where there’s none and draw needless attention to a decision made in good faith by the University authorities”.
This was the position of the Head, Corporate Communications and Protocol, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Otunba Mike Aladenika, while updating some journalists on the development and the impact of junk journalism on the state-owned university.
Otunba Mike Aladenika said, “It is unfortunate that the likes of Erasmus Ikhide and his Trojan online news media have become ready tools in the hands of divisive elements who are poised, albeit fruitlessly, to bring the institution down. No doubt then that Trojan, like the virus that it is, has located its blackmail and yellow journalism headquarters in Ekpoma. Has anyone taken quality time to go through Trojan’s site to see the stereotyped and ‘copy and paste’ stories taken from other people’s websites without recourse to giving credit to authorship? Severally, Trojan had published unverified stories about AAU and its principal officers based only on its owner’s perceived non-patronage from them. I think it is important to unveil the ‘masquerade Trojan’ as well as show what the character inside the masquerade, Erasmus Ikhide, looks like if not for any other thing but for the benefit of some of his co-travelers in ignorance in AAU who are still unknowingly taking a jolly ride on the back of a lion but may soon end up inside the belly of the same lion, if care is not taken.”
The AAU Image maker said, “Good, Erasmus is a journalist who has worked with all the media houses in the world as he claims but he has always had to leave due to one controversy or the other that he stirs. We are all aware, as journalists in this state, when our friend and colleague was appointed by Comrade Adams Oshiomhole. What became of his appointment shortly after? Or is it his marriage with then Governor Aregbesola of Osun State? How did that also end? Or should we talk about his brief romance with some political elements in the state and the aftermaths?
“We are all witnesses to his blackmail tactics and escapades with Governor Godwin Obaseki until the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media Projects, Crusoe Osagie, took him to the cleaners, exposing all his dirt and filth, all his correspondences as he sought in vain for patronage from government and how he resorted to blackmail when he was snubbed.
“The case of AAU, Ekpoma is not different in style and content from his familiar scripts. Trojan had published many unfounded reports about AAU, just because, according to him, “the Acting Vice-Chancellor does not engage”. ‘Engagement’, to Trojan and Ikhide, is to give money as patronage.
“I challenge Trojan and Erasmus to come out in the open to say that he did not request the Acting Vice Chancellor to finance his political campaigns and election in the just concluded House of Reps elections, which the AVC, true to his nature, bluntly refused to do after several failed visits to his (AVC’s) office by Ikhide followed by more promptings with sweet tongue and brandishing of his account number. I also dare him to come to the open to say that his last request for support for his mother’s burial that got a negative nod from the AVC in view of his hypocritical and dangerous antecedents did not anger him Ikhide to the extent of his telling me, personally, that ‘you and your AVC will hear from me.”
Otunba Aladenika, who condemned the yellow journalism, junk character, propaganda and blackmail approach of Erasmus and Trojan, noted that when he failed to manipulate the AVC, he resorted to launching attacks on him. Then, he went for his wife, a woman everyone knows as a self-effacing woman who often tries to stay out of the news or public glare. He raised a blackmail story, accusing her of being ‘queried’ and awaiting ‘trial’ over ‘transcript racketeering.’”
“I hereby challenge Erasmus Ikhide, the ‘investigative journalist’ to produce evidence of the query he alleged was issued to the wife of the AVC, the name of the officer who queried her, the ‘reply’ she gave as answer to the phantom query, the directive issued that she be ‘tried’ and the members of the panel set up purposely to try her for offences committed only in his imagination. Failure to do this will only confirm to the world who he really is: a virulent, manipulative, destructive, vengeful and psychotic rabble rouser forever looking for people who will “engage” (patronise) him to feather his nest and avoid his weapon of blackmail.”
“There is need to tell ourselves the truth: the era of anonymous ‘respondents’ in reportage and investigative journalism has passed. It is perhaps only in Trojan and Erasmus Ikhide that you still see such funny and vacuous identifiers as ‘stakeholders’ who have no names and designations yet are made to deceptively carry the load of witnesses to a lying and dubious enterprise. It is only there you see truth on bended kneels and facts walking on their heads.”
“My friend Erasmus knew too well that since I accepted, against his advice, the AAU appointment, that his ‘farm’ will soon get burnt. It surely will in due time. You may then excuse his last day crying and deal for payment. Whether he likes it or not, his payment from some of his anti-establishment clients in AAU will soon close as these clients too begin to unmask the Trojan Masqurade”, Aladenika said.
