By Oluwakemi Ishola
The Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), Oyo state chapter has petitioned the State Head of Service and the Ministry of Environment over a slanderous statement made by a staff of the Ministry, Sunday Agunbiade against the Chairman of the SWAN, Niyi Alebiosu and other members of the association.
In a petition letter by Temitope Adesiyan & Co, legal practitioners and solicitors and made available to Journalists on Sunday in Ibadan, Oyo state capital stated that it is worrisome and disheartening that a civil servant can be peddling lies against an individual, noting that they are not sure whether there is a larger conspiracy behind this, or he just failed to do a due diligence as required.
The petition informed Agunbiade’s employer, Oyo State Head of Service and Ministry of Environment the legal implication of his act in this matter, hence, imploring his employer to order him to embrace the olive branch extending to him while it lasts.
The solicitor in the letter also implored his employer further to compel Agunbiade before he bring their name to mucky water, to make full apology and retraction on same and confirm that these spurious allegations were falsely conceived and published in malice.
Also warning him to cease and desist from slandering Alebiosu, or left with no option than to turn the heat of litigation in full blast against him without any further recourse to him.
According to the petition, “Our client, Niyi Alebiosu, Oyo state Chairman of SWAN drew our attention to the fact that sometime in September 2020, Sunday Arogundade, a civil servant in a ministry of environment made a derogatory publication about SWAN via his WhatsApp which he posted on several groups.
“Arogundade referred to Niyi Alebiosu as an unscrupulous element parading himself as SWAN member in the state. Another one reads, Comrade Olaolu Fawole made this known while speaking with newsmen on Table Tennis tournament purported organized by a group of impersonators led by one Niyi Alebiosu of Nigerian Tribune, who has been deceiving and misinforming unsuspecting Nigerians in the recent times.
“This has led us to conclude that making these disparaging allegations is a calculated attempt to maliciously tarnish the image of our client’s persona through the deliberate publication of misrepresented facts to unsuspecting members of public.
“Agunbiade ignoble act had done wanton damage to the good image of our client, as he received calls from several upstanding members of the society. He had to spend a lot time and effort erasing the negative impression Agunbiade gave about Alebiosu on the media.
“We are using this medium to inform Agunbiade’s employer, Oyo State Head of Service and Ministry of Environment to impress upon them the legal implication of his act in this matter, hence, we trust that he would embrace the olive branch extending to him while it lasts.
“We are imploring his employer, the Oyo HOS an Ministry of Environment to order Agunbiade before he bring their name to mucky water, to make full apology and retraction on same and confirm that these spurious allegations were falsely conceived and published in malice.
“This is also warning to him to cease and desist from slandering our client, as we shall be left with no option than to turn the heat of litigation in full blast against him without any further recourse to him”.
