That hypocritical condolence visit of the Executive chairman of Ahoada West local government Council, Hon. (Evang) Hope O Ikiriko, to the family of late High Chief Krohan Joel(JP). by… Goodliffe Goodhead

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Condolence visit is an expression of common sorrow with members of a family that lost their loved ones.

Yesterday, 29th September 2022, Hon. (Evang.) Hope O Ikiriko, the Executive chairman of Ahoada West local government Council, accompanied by the local government party (PDP) chairman, other stakeholders and some of his aides, paid condolence visit to the family of late High Chief Krohan Joel. The question is : Does Hon. (Evang.) Hope O Ikiriko really share a common sorrow with members of Late High Chief Krohan’s family?

High Chief Krohan Joel died in the late hours of 28th August, 2022. Few weeks before his death, he was in need of medical attention as he was diagnosed with prostrate cancer, coupled with the high sugar levels he was managing.

On several occasions, late High Chief Krohan Joel would pick up his mobile phone and call Hon.( Evang.) Hope O Ikiriko, the leader of his party and executive chairman of his local government, to inform him of his health challenges but Hon. Evangelist would not pick neither did he return the calls. SMS messages were also not acknowledged nor replied.

Publishing the condolence visit by one of the media aides to the executive chairman, the media aide described late High Chief Krohan Joel thus :

” High Chife Khroham Joel, a faithful and ardent supporter of PDP who has contributed to the growth of PDP in Upatabo Community(Ekpeye) in Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers State.”

Such a person would call his leader and council chairman and the chairman would neither take nor return the call.

Late High Chief Kroham Joel contributed in no small measures to the success of the personnel audit and staff verification exercise carried out by the executive chairman on assumption of office. An exercise many says, is the only project successfully carried out by the Council chairman. In addition to his wealth of experience in the local government service which he brought into the exercise, he donated his hotel in his home town, Upatabo, where the exercise was completed, when the flooding cut off the road to Akinima, the Council headquarter where the exercise was initially carried out. By donating his hotel accommodation for the verification exercise to be carried out, late High Chief Kroham Joel saved Ahoada West local government Council, hundreds of thousands of naira that would have been spent if the committee members had lodged in an hotel to go on with the verification exercise.

Late High Chief Kroham Joel ,about two years ago appealed to the executive chairman to give employment to one of his children but the chairman refused as he never responded to the several appeals. Also, some times last year, one of late High Chief Kroham Joel’s son got admission into a Ukrainian University. All documents were ready and he needed some fund to facilitate the son’s movement. He had already sold his jeep for the son’s journey. We both drove to Akinima to meet Hon. (Evang.) Hope O Ikiriko, the executive chairman for financial assistance. Late High Chief Kroham met Evangelist Hope Ikiriko and showed all travel documents of the son and asked for a million naira assistance. The chairman responded by saying that salaries had not been paid and as such, he could not help, but promised to reach out to Late High Chief Kroham Joel the moment salaries are paid. He never fulfill his promise until the 28th of August, 2022 when High Chief Kroham Joel took his last breath.

Late High Chief Kroham Joel released his Spirit on the way as they were taking him to the hospital.

If (Evang.) Hope O Ikiriko had taken his call in one of those accusations, Late High Chief Kroham Joel would have been able to communicate his health status to him, and who knows? He would have done something, and who knows? High Chief would have been alive.

Today, High Chief Kroham Joel is gone and Hon. (Evang.) Hope O Ikiriko is carrying multitude to condole the family of the man he refused to hear from. He might have giving the family some money or promised to assist them in the burial of the man he disliked with passion.

One thing I know, the Spirit of Late High Chief Kroham Joel would never accept whatever assistance Hon. (Evang.) Hope O Ikiriko would render towards his burial.

To be unkind to life and be kind to death is hypocritical and an act of witchcraft.