I woke up to find Linda Ikeji trending as well as a hashtag #Lindagate created by a blogger, Kemi Olunloyo. There were numerous headlines that read “Kemi Olunloyo reveals HOW Linda Ikeji got/received N240m from #Dasukigate”. I clicked on the various links to read the said ‘revelations’ and what a disappointment that turned out to be! It turned out to be a series of tweet rants just making allegations and not revealing anything. She (madam Olunloyo) also promised to, at a certain time of the day, reveal the identity of the person who gifted Miss Ikeji with the property at Banana Island- it has been way past said time and we are yet to see anything or anyone!
This brings me to my point(s).
First, for a person who claims to be a trained journalist and who has been in the said industry for over twenty years, I am sure she must have come across the word “defamation” every now and then. You do not make such allegations without proof to back them up (as truth/ a belief in the truth of said publication is a defense in an action for defamation). If I was Miss Ikeji and there is no truth in these allegations as she has said, I would contact my lawyers and bring an action in defamation against this journalist and all such others publishing such information.
My second point is, assuming (without conceding) that she in fact received N240m for advertisement on her blog, this money would constitute payment for service rendered. Thankfully, the ‘blogosphere’ is not a monopoly as there are so many people with computers and access to the internet today who lay claim to the title of ‘blogger’. If they (potential clients) had found her rates to be too expensive, then they should have gone on to someone with cheaper rates. It is just how the market works.
Now to my third point, there is a Yoruba adage that says “bi isu eni ba ta, a’n fi owo bo je ni” (simply meaning “avoid ostentation”). One may recall the trouble that followed Miss Ikeji a while back when she displayed her then latest acquisition of a brand new Range Rover. I would have thought that a lesson or two would have been leant from that experience- apparently not! Miss Ikeji’s display of her new N550m property bought and paid for in full (according to her) attests to this fact. Various images of the interior and exterior of the property are put up on social media. This seeming show-off of wealth is bound to irk some people who have worn this title of blogger for years longer than Miss Ikeji. There is a reason we have these adages as they are coined from experiences and wisdoms of our forefathers. I quite appreciate the fact that Miss Ikeji believes she does this to encourage people to believe in and pursue their drams and never give up, however this could be done in other ways.
I really applaud Miss Ikeji on her achievements so far and must confess that I admire her- her tenacious spirit and her actualization of her dreams…and she has paid her dues! I would just advise that she keep herself out of harm’s way. I can almost guarantee that the ‘-IRS’ would soon be knocking on her door! I do wish her the very best in her future pursuits.
