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Insecurity: Retired IGPs Converge, Brainstorm In Ibadan, Oyo State

By
Ayodele Oni
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Retired IGPs

By Ayodele Oni

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde,  will play host to members of the Committee of Retired Inspectors General of Police next week in Ibadan.

The retired Police Chiefs are expected in the Oyo state capital from Monday for a retreat.

The Head of Press and Public Relations of the Police Service Commission (PSC) Ikechukwu Ani disclosed this in a statement on Friday in Abuja.

Ani explained that the retreat will hold from August 21 to 23 at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan.

He said the retreat, with the theme: “Intervention Of Ex-Inspectors General of Police For Strategic Contribution To Effective Policing In Nigeria” would brainstorm  on effective policing in Nigeria.

The PSC spokesman said dignitaries expected at the retreat are all retired IGs, the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the Chairman of PSC,  Dr. Solomon Arase and the acting I-G, Mr Olukayode Egbetokun.

According to him, Gov.  Makinde will be the chief host at the event.

Ani stated that papers to be presented at the retreat are Current State of Police Preparedness; Issues, Challenges and Prospects as well as Strategic actions and steps towards  restoring NPF’s primacy in internal security  architecture of Nigeria.

According to him, the discussion and experience-sharing session on the imperativeness of employing the experiential knowledge of the retired IGs in the effective management of internal security in Nigeria would be part of the retreat.

The PSC spokesman said Alhaji Aliyu Attah, a retired (I-G) and the chairman of the committee  is the convener of the retreat.

“I Lost A Bank Job For Lying About My Age”  – Ondo Commissioner; Says Ondo Deep Sea Port Largest In Africa

By
Ayodele Oni
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Emmanuel Igbasan

By Ayodele Oni

Ondo State Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Emmanuel Igbasan, during an interaction with Correspondents in Akure, discloses how he lost a banking job because he lied about his age. He also talked about the roles of his Ministry and efforts by the Administration to check sea incursion in the coastal area of the State. He revealed too, that the Ondo Deep Sea Port is the only one in Nigeria, and the largest in Africa.

Following, the interactive session.

Q : Having passed through these experiences in life, how did you feel about the first Million Naira you made?

A: The first good money I made was N40,000. when I finished school.  I worked with a Microfinance bank. They paid N7,500 per month. I asked the Bank Manager one day how many years he had spent on the job, he said 16 years. His clothes and shoe were too bad. I called another worker there who was a graduate and had also spent 12 years on the job.

He lived in a room with his wife and children. I then decided to resign from the job because that was not the kind of life I wished for myself. I started looking for work but my age had advanced. I then removed 10 years from it. Pacific Bank called me and when I got to the interview, they realized that I lied about my age despite that I performed well. I was not employed.

They wrote there that ‘despite that he was brilliant but he was a liar.’ I went back home and I tore my CV. Since then, I don’t lie about myself and I was determined not took for job again. I knew because of my age, God has excluded me from seeking for Job.

I have had lots of experience in Advertising. I have been into editing. I have been a consultant to Federal Internal Revenue Service in Lagos, Consultant to Ogun State, Oyo State, before I found myself here. Every Man’s life has been designed by God. Rely on him, he would take you there. I don’t know what the future holds for me but I knew the one who holds the future, so I knew my future would be brighter than this.

Q: What is the debt profile of Ondo State?

A: We have internal and external debt in the State but when you bring the totality together, the conceptual debt amounted to N220bn when we took over. Right now, it has reduced to between N90bn to N92bn including multilateral debt. All the salaries we paid were part of the debt. The cumulative debt of pensioners was N35bn when we took over.

Even if we deploy the resources of the State, we cannot offset this. So, we decided to give N200 million to them yearly to sort the pensioners debt. How they handled it is also another ball game but I have my reservations on it. We also allocate N300m million for their Palliatives. We have paid all leave bonuses, except for Levels 9 to 15 in 2019. As of today, with all the work that has been done, I am not sure we are owing up to N10bn as conceptual debt.

Q: How has it been since you came on board the administration of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu in 2017?

A: When we came on board, we engaged the citizens on budgeting. We believe the people should be part of the decision process on how we deploy their resources and to engaging people on our budgeting process. Luckily, the Governor gave us the go ahead. After doing this, we received many global partnerships. In the past few years, We have upheld physical transparency, accountability, openness and citizens’ engagement.

In 2019, when the European Union did comparative analysis for physical transparency, Ondo State came first in terms of budget and physical transparency. The Budget and Economy Planing Ministry is the blood of the Government and the life wire of the administration. Nothing moves in the State without the knowledge of the Ministry because extra budgeting spending is an offence punishable by impeachment. For us in Ondo State, we occupied this critical function to ensure optimum allocation of resources.

Apart from resource mobilization and optimum allocation for the betterment of our people, we liase with all developmental partners across all sectors. Our Ministry is the point contact of call for any national and international agencies before they do anything in Ondo State in any of the sectors. We relate with development partners such as World Bank, WHO, European Union, African Union and many more.

This is necessary. We should be able to guide them and direct them in line with the economic objectives of the Government.  You cannot just come in and go into any area and begin to function without alignment with the objectives of the Government of the day. This is what we do.

Q: Many Nigerians do not understand if your Ministry makes any impact on their lives.

A: The  impact of this Ministry on the administration is very important. Sometimes you cannot see it physically unless you take a deeper look, or you are an expert in this area. It beholds us to know something about everything for us to function efficiently. Incidentally, the result has been showing through our resources management.

Looking at our IGR, we are the primary ministry that sees with every revenue generating agencies and agree optimally what they should bring to the collective pool. We have the responsibility of resources mobilization. If there’s any leakages in the system, we ensure that it is being closed. We  have the monetary department, they monitor our appropriations. We are ready to absorb constructive criticism and we would do what is necessary especially for our people.

Q: How has your planning affected the ordinary citizens of the State?

A For us to live a prosperous and sustainable manner, we should plan on how to unleash our potential in such a way that would benefit us that are alive and also benefit the generation coming. Looking at the statistics that we have out there, Wikipedia put Ondo State as number seven. In size of our GDP in the National Bureau of Statistics, we are number six.

The National Promotion Council put Ondo State as number four. The World Bank made Ondo State number six in terms of the size of our GDP. Our GDP is at $8.4 million. We have to interrogate the system critically. Ondo State might not have industries, but God blessed everyone with a measure of gifts. We have up to five to six forest reserves. if we properly manage what God has given to us other states are not better than us.

Q: You recently rolled out a 30-year development plan for the state which was tagged Ondo 2054

A: For a State to be able to meet its needs, there is critical need to access its asset, its potentials and its capabilities. As at 2006 census, Ondo State was 3.6 million in population and definitely we would have a growth rate of 2.8. By now, we would have a population of six million people.

In 2054 which is 30 years from now, how many are we going to be? We have occupied everywhere. What does that portend for our Agricultural Sector. We have been known as largest cocoa producer, now cross River has overtaken us.

What has happened to Oda Cocoa reserve? Have we not bulldozed it off and began to erect structures there? If we continue in this way how do we ensure food security for the growing population?

Q: Many commentators have described the recently held “Develop Ondo 2.0” as a jamboree

A: Develop Ondo 1.0 was organized in 2018 puting into consideration some of the background information given, looking at the great potentials of Ondo State, looking at the advantageous situation and location of the state. If you would go to Lagos from Ore it would take less than two hours.

From the South East to Ore, it would take less than two hours to get to Asaba, we have close distance to the economy areas. Looking at the Southern zone, we are opened into the Atlantic Ocean which gives us natural advantage to use. That was what necessitated “Develop Ondo 1.0”  to showcase the potentials and the benefits of partnering with Ondo State. One of the benefits is the development of the Air route in Akure Airport.

You are aware that it is not  State-owned but for us to bring investors, transportation is key and now we have three flights almost on daily basis. We can see that the number of people that have residential houses and businesses in Ondo State has increased because they no longer need to travel through the den of kidnappers before they get to Ondo State. Another benefits of 1.0 is security, and that was when Mr Governor championed Southwest Nigeria Security Network known as Amotekun.

Today we are all beneficiaries of the peace in the community and Safety of life’s and properties. This administration brought UNDP back during develop Ondo 1.0. They are now profitable partners of Ondo State. There’s no amount of money you spend on your State that is a waste, the benefits might not materialize directly but somehow, you would get the indirect benefits. Those ones that manifested directly would attract World investors.

At Ore we have partners on our Farms that have engaged nothing less than 4,000 thousand workers.

Coming to Ondo 2.0, it is too early to say that there’s nothing to do, you would see that we engaged the NDDC on the project we wanted to execute at the moment. We we engaged them on our objectives, they can’t just throw projects at us, we have to develop Ondo together. Chevron has also partnered with us. The benefits have started coming in even before it ended, it is not just a jamboree.

Q: When will Port Ondo kicks off?

In the whole of Africa, the only place to find a deep sea port is in Ondo State. Other ports like Badagri port, Apapa, Onne, are all River port. Ours is deep sea port. To bring more economical advantage to Ondo, we decided to develop our Deep Sea port. It is supposed to be projected by the Nigeria port development but Ondo did it.

Q: What is the plan to curb Ayetoro sea incursion?

it is a problematic and pathetic one for us as a State. If you look at the historical heritage of that place and their enterprises, it is not a place that should go into extinction. There are so many theories because for me, before I proffer solution, I want to dig deep into the root of the problem so that I won’t be dealing with the symptoms. I told Mr Governor that before we can give solutions to the problem in Ayetoro, we need to know the cause.

There’s no vacuum in nature. If you look at the proximity of Ondo State to Lagos and the bottom of sand that was pulled from the sea to create a city where they drove the sea, several miles away, there’s the possibility the sand was gotten from Ondo State. Some States erected sea breakers at the buttom of the sea which would change the natural cause of flow of the sea water, that might have been the repercussions that we are facing here.

Another perspective is the activities of the Oil company. While I was doing my research, I stumbled on an information as far back as 1958, and it has been predicted that something like this would happen.

The rise in climate change and the erosion level can be the cause too in Ayetoro. They have awarded numerous projects to salvage the issues in Ayetoro. One of them brought in sand to fill the place but within few days they ran out of sand.

Many of the perspective put there is not true. We need to conduct critical survey on the solution to that place.

Mr Governor, before he went on vacation, had put up a Committee on Ayetoro problem. They are to look for fund to tackle the situation. The Governor was emotional and he said this would be one of the bad things he will be leaving behind –  Ayetoro worse than he met it.

Ekiti Deputy Governor, Afuye, Wades Into Land Disputes Among Three Communities, Sues For Peace

By
Ayodele Oni
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By Ayodele Oni

The Ekiti State Government, has tasked Traditional Rulers on the need to stop the upsurge of land disputes in the state, saying autonomy granted  some towns were intended to ignite development, and not rancour.

The Government urged the host communities where some towns were excised for full autonomy to recognize the new status of their neighbours and live peacefully with them, rather than perceive them as enemies.

The State Deputy Governor,  Monisade Afuye, said this in Ado Ekiti, on Friday, while interfacing with the Ijero Council of Traditional Rulers on the boundary dispute among three communities in the area.

Mrs Afuye condemned the festering land tussle in the three communities in recent time, promising that a committee set up by the government will visit the  neighbouring towns for proper boundary demarcations that will resolve the crisis.

The Deputy Governor said it was appalling that the towns, who had existed together under Ipoti Ekiti for several years before the autonomy could be experiencing lingering land dispute, urging them to resolve the tussle and learn to live together peacefully.

She expressed delight about the willingness of Ajero of Ijero and paramount ruler of the council to meddle in the crisis, noting that  this measure would help in expeditious resolution of the protracted boundary crisis.

“We must learn to live together in peace. If over the years you have been together, why must you begin fighting over land now?

“The Committee set up by the  Government will visit the places identified as flash points  to exhume more facts about the happenings in the three towns.

“What Governor Biodun Oyebanji wanted is peace and he considers the traditional rulers as champions in this regard, so we can’t afford to be fighting each other over boundaries or superiority in chieftaincy titles that have existed for ages.

“The Committee will be there to verify issues and record them for future references. We are not going to apportion blames, we will not also fold our arms and allow bloodshed over matters that can be resolved amicably.”

The Ajero of Ijero Ekiti, Oba Adewole, stated that he was quite aware of the boundary dispute among the communities, describing this as not enough to stoke the fire of division or bad blood if well handled.

Oba Adewole urged the three towns to cohabit peacefully and perceive the autonomy granted for Ejiyan and Owatedo, after being excised from Ipoti Ekiti as a veritable avenue for development and not war.

The Monarch stated that all the traditional rulers in Ijero Local Government were carried along during the time the autonomy was being initiated, and they approved of the government’s policy to propel development at the grassroots.

“If you go to that towns, all the three were neighbours. They have built houses together and intermarried. Now that the autonomy had been given to two out of the three towns, the monarchs must move fast and  foster peace.

“The land  under contention was given to them by my ancestor, it belonged to Ajero, but it was given out of love and it is that love these towns must allow to continue in their midst.

“Ipoti, Owatedo, and Ejiyan have been recognized by government, so nobody should claim superiority among them.”

The monarch appealed to government to deploy its committee to the area to unravel more findings to ease the settlement of the dispute expeditiously.

“We will all make ourselves available to help the Committee arrive at a good and informed decision on this matter.”

All the monarchs from the three feuding towns had agreed to align with the position to intervene in the matter through a committee composed by the State Government.

CIPM President Elected Vice President Of AHRC

By
James Orji
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The President & Chairman of the Governing Council of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria, CIPM, Olusegun Mojeed, has been elected as the Vice President of the African Human Resource Confederation, AHRC – the pan-African body for HR. The election took place at the Executive Board meeting of the AHRC on August 11, 2023.

In a statement by the Registrar/Chief Executive of the Institute, Oluwatoyin Naiwo, ‘this election is an acceleration of CIPM’s journey to global relevance. Mojeed was previously the Secretary-General of the AHRC and by his election as the Vice President, he is saddled with additional responsibilities that would include sitting on and actively participating in the Executive Board of the World Federation of People Management Associations, WFPMA, which is the global network of professionals in people management”.

According to her, “having this significant representation at the African level is an opportunity to lead the African HR Community through the Board of the AHRC and also a huge boost to the CIPM’s bid to host the World HR Congress in 2026”.

Mojeed is an alumnus of the prestigious Yale School of Management & the University of Lagos, a Fellow of the National Institute for Labour Studies, and the Executive Consultant & Global Head of Practice at Bezaleel Consulting Group. A thorough-bred HR, Learning & Talent Development Professional with over three decades of cognate work experience spanning several industries and sectors. His expertise span Strategy Development & Execution; Change Management; Leadership; Extra-Legendary Customer Service; Talent Management; Strategic Human Resource Management; Entrepreneurship and Life-After-Work among others. He is an author and a Centre for Management Development certified trainer/consultant.

In the same vein, the Head of Communication, Advocacy & Stakeholder Relations of the CIPM, Funmi Onasanya, was co-opted as a member of the Executive Board of AHRC to strengthen the Institute’s service delivery at the AHRC level.

Heartbroken Lagos Socialite, Faridah Of House Of Phreedah, Saved From Committing Sui$ide

By
Adesina Soyooye
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Faridah Sobowale

By Adesina Soyooye

What would push a beautiful, rich socialite and popular Beautician to want to commit sui$ide by jumping into the Lagos Lagoon?

That is the nagging question Lagosians, especially, those who know Faridah the popular socialite, beautician and owner of “House of Phreedah” are asking.

In a video which has gone viral, Farida Sobowale was seen, being restrained by a number of shocked Lagosians from committing sui$ide by jumping into the Lagos Lagoon.

Dressed in a black attire, complete with a black headgear, she drove her black Lexus vehicle, stopped on Third Mainland Bridge, came down, and was about to jump to a painful death when she was noticed by motorists and motorcyclists who quickly intervened and dragged her back seconds before she jumped.

Many have attributed her attempt to kill herself to embarrassment and heartbreak.

She wedded her man, Ademola, just a couple of months ago at a very lavish wedding ceremony. For yet to be explained reasons, the marriage crashed just within, about, 41 days. Ademola, it is alleged, walked away from the marriage.

Restraining Faridah from committing suicide was a difficult task. She was seen weeping and struggling to be allowed to jump in order to end her pains and heartbreak.

At the time of filing this report, there has been mo statement from her family or the Police.

Sui$ide Aborted… Lagos Socialite CEO Houseofphreedah Body Care Attempted Sui$ide on Third Mainland Bridge

By
The Source
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Faridah Sobowale

The popular Lagos beautician, @houseofphreedahskincare tried to jump into the Lagos Lagoon Thursday, but was saved by some people who noticed the incident.

It would be recalled that Faridah Sobowale just got separated from her husband Ademola after 41 days of marriage.

The scandal had been trending on social media

NIMASA DG Hails Tinubu For Creating Marine/ Blue Economy Ministry

By
James Orji
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The Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Dr. Bashir Jamoh, has hailed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the creation of the Marine and Blue Economy Ministry, and appointment of Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo as its head.

Jamoh said that with the creation of this “long overdue ministry” it will give a massive boost to plans and programmes the President intends to deploy.

While expressing optimism that the maritime industry is large enough to engage the teeming youths in the country adequately, he urged them to take advantage of the opportunities in the Nigerian maritime sector.

He said, “I want to commend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for creating the Marine and Blue Economy Ministry and appointing Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo to man its affairs. There are new opportunities around us, and I’m glad Nigeria, with the creation of this ministry, will explore the concept of the blue economy.

“The blue economy is the sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods, and jobs while preserving the health of the ocean ecosystem. Blue Economy Activities include Maritime shipping, Fishing & aquaculture, Coastal tourism, Renewable energy, Water desalination, Undersea cabling, Seabed extractive industries & deep sea mining, Marine genetic resources, and Biotechnology.

““Honestly, this ministry is long overdue, more importantly, to support the diversification of the economy. Efficient management and sustainable exploitation of the marine resources in our seas and oceans, no doubt, provide a veritable tool for  Economic Growth.” Jamoh said.

CBN: Why Court Cannot Force DSS To Release Emefiele- Judge

By
James Orji
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Godwin Emefiele

A federal High Court judge, Nicholas Oweibo has slammed the Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration for being lawless by disobeying court orders.

The judge spoke in Lagos on Thursday while striking out the case of illegal possession of firearms against suspended Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele.

The court struck out the case after the federal government said it will no longer proceed with it.

Emefiele has since been charged on a 20-count charge bordering on procurement abuse while he was CBN boss.

On Thursday, his arraignment by the DSS was stalled after a co-accused, Saadat Yaro failed to show up during their arraignment at an Abuja High court.

While striking out the case of illegal firearm possession against Emefiele, Justice Uweibo chided the federal government for not being law-abiding and disrespecting the court.

Recall that the judge had last month granted a 20 million bail to Emefiele, but the DSS who has held him for over two months following his removal from office by President Tinubu on June 9, refused to obey the order.

The former CBN Governor has been in the custody of the DSS since June 9.

Ruling yesterday on the application by the DSS for the illegal firearm possession to be struck out, Justice Oweibo said doing so will not make any difference in the case of Emefiele who is still being held by the DSS against a subsisting court order.

The Judge Slammed FG: “The prosecution has shown signs that they are not law-abiding and have no respect for the court.

“The court cannot force them. What good will it be for the defendant who is in custody?

“Of what benefit will it be to keep the file in the court’s docket?

“I believe the proper thing is to allow them to withdraw the charge. They can simply abandon it and the court will still have to strike it out for lack of diligent prosecution. The application to withdraw is hereby granted.”

Meanwhile, the embattled CBN governor could not be arraigned in court yesterday following the absence in court of his co-accused, Sa’adatu Yaro, on a fresh 20-count charge bordering on procurement fraud.

Emefiele has been charged by the DSS  over N6.9 billion procurement fraud, conspiracy, and conferring corrupt advantages on his associates, including Yaro alongside, and her company, April 1616 Investment Limited.

Niger Coup: Tension As AU Counters ECOWAS Plan For Military Invasion

By
James Orji
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0
The African Union, AU, has opposed the use of military force to restore democracy in Niger Republic.
The landlocked country has faced a serious political crisis following the removal of President Mohammed Bazoum last month by a coup detat.
In response, the regional economic body ECOWAS has insisted on the reinstatement of the deposed president, including the use of force as the last resort.
On Wednesday, the Chief of Defense Staff, CoDS of the 15-nation bloc met in Ghana where they reinforced their preparation to invade the country to flush out the General Abdourahamane Tchiani-led military junta if diplomatic efforts failed. 
 “Democracy is what we stand for and it’s what we encourage. The focus of our gathering is not simply to react to events, but to proactively chart a course that results in peace and promote stability,”  Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Gwabin Musa,  who attended the meeting was quoted to have said.
But in its report on Thursday, French daily Le Monde said it had spoken with top officials of AU who said the continental body is opposed to the use of force to evict the coup plotters from government.
Quoting multiple sources, the newspaper said  the AU’s Peace and Security Council, the body appointed to decide on conflict resolution issues,  rejected the deployment of a foreign military force after a tense meeting on Monday.
The rejection of military invasion, according to security and defence analysts, will further weaken the resolve of ECOWAS to launch a military attack on Niger.
“The clear division among leaders in ECOWAS and AU is a pointer that African leaders are not United on the matter,” one of them said.
Cape Verde has joined other  countries in ECOWAS opposed to military invasion to resolve the leadership crisis in Niger, after Mali, Boukina Faso, Guinea juntas said they will not support the use of force.
The military government in those countries have even threatened to join forces with the coupists  in Niger against foreign invasion military forces

Imo Flight By Night Columnists

By
The Source
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0

By Oguwike Nwachuku

“Truth is that Governor Uzodimma has not changed and will not change from being the good friend he has always been to the Journalists”

Last week, I read an opinion piece written by the Publisher of Trumpeta, Mr. Henry Ekpe. The Trumpeta is a local tabloid based in Owerri.

The summary of the opinion is that Ekpe was using it to seek attention. I want to believe he got the attention he badly craved from his miniscule audience with the barefaced lies, innuendos, animated craftiness that belied his article.

The initial idea was to ignore Ekpe based on his confession that we are friends, including the Governor.

But realising that he was on a deliberate mission to undermine the integrity of my Principal, Governor Hope Uzodimma, his Government and his officials, it became imperative that Ekpe’s audience were fed with the right information, contrary to his underhand, mischievous, malicious and calculated subterfuge that he tried to buffet them with.

Those who read Ekpe between the lines will come to the sad, but factual conclusion that all he wasted his time lamenting in nearly 2000 words was that Governor Uzodimma with perhaps his Government, has not given him attention as Publisher and stakeholder in Imo State, perhaps the way those who ran the affairs of the State before now did. Whatever that means!

Putting it in the language the ordinary man would understand, Ekpe was weeping that the Governor is not carrying him and the Journalists in Imo State along. Unfortunately, he knows that the crocodile tears was a big lie. I shall return to that shortly.

Let me paraphrase some of Ekpe’s claims so that we have a clearer understanding of his mindset while he wrote.

Hear him: “By the end of November, Senator Hope Uzodinma would have completed his first term as the Governor of Imo State, yet he has not met Journalists based in Imo State in any interactive session…

He had several times met with Journalists from outside Imo State, but he has not deemed it necessary to have an interface with the Media men based in the State he has operated in for nearly four years now…

“It sounds ridiculously incredible, that Governor Hope Uzodinma has never, for the first time, since three years, addressed Imo Journalists in a press conference. How he thought that all (those) his Media friends who used to parley with him in the early twenties have all left Imo State, or died is still a mystery…

“Therefore, it will be a bad record that Uzodinma led Imo State for four years and never made out time to speak with Imo based Journalists …

“During the Udenwa era, Journalists in the State enjoyed a lot, despite the fact that the State was just coming out from the hangover of Military Regime …

“It was Udenwa’s administration that introduced ‘stipends’ for Journalists in the State, to at least help them offset some of their daily expenses…

“Ohakim could call the names of all journalists in the State. He invited them for every personal functions in Okohia, Isiala Mbano LGA. He was their delight because he was ever ready for any question…

“The Journalists’ personal close relationship with the Governor made my job easier, since they would be hurting their friend if they published what was unpalatable and unfounded…

“Governor Okorocha, despite his ‘stubbornness’ and unorthodox ways of doing things never spent a month without interacting with Imo Journalists …

“The occasions held either in the Bush Bar in Government House, his Spibat private home in Owerri, Ogboko his village home, or NUJ Press Centre, Owerri…

“During Christmas or the stakeholders meetings held every New Year, Udenwa, Ohakim and Okorocha invited, not only NUJ hierarchy, but Publishers in Imo, and other Senior Journalists.

Not anymore. Today, Journalists in Imo are not stakeholders, including Publishers …

“Even the seven months Ihedioha spent in office, he met Journalists in his Owerri residence once, and his Mbaise home to interact with them…

“Unfortunately, since the Uzodinma era, to see the Governor for interaction becomes a problem. Either those managing his image prefers (sic) ‘Outside Media’ or don’t want the “Home Based” Journalists meet their Governor or the Governor himself don’t (sic) want to meet them…”

Before we evaluate the above excerpts, it is important the readers are given a faint idea of the man Henry Ekpe.

Ekpe is not just a card carrying member of the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP). He has always been an official of the PDP at the national and state levels. In Imo State, where his political godfathers and benefactors hold sway, he sees himself as part of the opposition PDP fighting the government of the day dirty, with violence and contrived insecurity to wrest power from Governor Uzodimma.

Therefore, Ekpe as a Publisher, publishes and writes from where he appears. He publishes and writes from the perspective or the bias of his benefactors and not necessarily based on his professional conviction/training as a Journalist/Publisher that he professes.

The journalism profession that every trained practitioner, including yours sincerely, knows of is noble and that is to the extent that the sanctity of truth must, at all times, be upheld, at least by the practitioners. Facts, we were thought in the journalism school, are sacred and regarded as the basis upon which the believability or otherwise of the journalist’s report rests. The popular refrain or maxim, if you are in doubt, you leave out, remains incontrovertible. Anything to the contrary is balderdash, hogwash, hearsay, unfounded rumour, false, fake barefaced lies, et al.

Sadly, my friend, Ekpe chose to travel that route to get at Governor Uzodimma, his Government and officials. I don’t think we will be doing him any good deodarising his mischievous intentions under the cover of a Journalist/Publisher and an acclaimed stakeholder. It is incomprehensible that he sees Governor Uzodimma as his friend, yet subjects him to such covert blackmail.

The truth remains that Governor Uzodimma, contrary to Ekpe’s lies, has met and addressed Imo State based journalists several times since assuming office. Twice he met with them at the Sam Mbakwe Exco Chambers and twice, also, during the annual Media Award/Christmas celebrations interactive session with the whole Journalists in Imo State at the Banquet Hall.

Governor Uzodimma did not just stop at the interaction with the journalists, he has gone a step further to institute, the first in Nigeria, the concept of Media Excellence Awards designed to encourage journalists practicing in Imo. As I write, the Committee for the third edition of the Governor Hope Uzodimma Media Excellence Award is ready. With the event, Journalists practicing in Imo State have the opportunity to win awards in the different areas they have competence in the course of discharging their duties.

Ekpe is aware of all these, but chose to feed Imo people with lies because of his selfish political leaning and the demands of his benefactors whom he sees as political opponents to the Governor, and so ready to do anything they want him to do without weighing the implications.

In all the events where the Governor met with the Journalists in Imo State, Ekpe had invitations extended to him but he chose not to attend, playing the ostrich with his tabloid, the Trumpeta, churning out half truths and propaganda, and at the same time, hiding under the cover of a Publisher to claim ignored as an Imo stakeholder by the Governor.

Regardless, the truth is that if Ekpe lays claim to being a stakeholder in Imo State, he is by all standard correct by virtue of being a former Chief Press Secretary. But the question he must ask himself is what manner of stakeholder is he? Is he a stakeholder who lies glibly against his Governor, his Government and his Aides just to seek attention? Or is he a stakeholder who pays little attention to the issues that ail his State, even with his tabloid, because doing the contrary would hurt the political philosophy and calculations of his benefactors and his own personal interest?

There could have been better ways for Ekpe to walk himself back to the generous heart of Governor Uzodimma, since he said he has been known to the Governor for years, rather than the old style recourse to media blackmail/propaganda as he did in the instant piece.

Writing on “Excessive Ego” in his book – An Essential Guild to Public Speaking – Quention Schultze said: “We all are valuable persons made in God’s image. But we ought not think too highly of ourselves, even if we are relatively fearless speakers.  Otherwise, we might let our egos run loose.”

I think Ekpe allowed his ego of being a Journalist/Publisher run loose and that is not a good lesson those he is mentoring should pick.

I am happy that Ekpe made references to the Governments of Achike Udenwa, Ikedi Ohakim, Rochas Okorocha and Emeka Ihedioha, and what happened during their days.

Ekpe’s suggestion that the method of media relations that was deployed more than 20 years ago, in the case of the era of Governor Udenwa when few national newspapers were in existence and cell phones, Facebook, Whatsapp, Instagram, Twitter, among other gadgets not playing critical role in media practice in Nigeria then be adopted today by Governor Uzodimma, should worry not a few persons.

To even make such suggestion in relation to the era of Governor Ohakim would also amount to committing huge contemporary image making hara-kiri for Government, also going by the ubiquity of media practitioners, both conventional and otherwise and the prevalence of information, communication and technology (ICT)-driven gadgets deployed by today’s journalists.

Even though the era of Governors Okorocha and Ihedioha could be associated with the currency of use of technology for media practice, there is no doubt that there is still no basis for comparison with the madness that everyone experiences today. So, why would Governor Uzodimma depend on templates that would go stale the next moment instead of devising his own, knowing too well we are now in the digital era, the age of technology when things happen in the speed of light?

I am sure if Ekpe realises that I have nearly 1000 journalists on my mailing list as CPS, with more demanding to be added to the existing list coming every passing day, he will come to the conclusion that he was actually on holidays during his era. As unprecedented as the number on my mailing list is, from day one, I promised to run an open door/all inclusive media policy, and that explains why no Journalist in the country with conscience would complain of information hoarding by Uzodimma’s administration.  Or are we talking about those with the right to citizen journalism using their android phones?

Senator Uzodimma is a digital compliant Governor and has long queued into the digital era of media practice and image making, often times taking to his social media platforms to propagate his work and views himself. I doubt if that was the situation during the return of democracy when the likes of Governor Udenwa that Ekpe referred to his template were in office.

I need not remind Ekpe of the metamorphosis that had taken place in the Media industry. However, the point should be made that the earlier we embrace the digital world that is today media practice and de-emphasise so much of physical visit in the course of discharging our duties, the better for us so long as communication is flowing in all directions.

As advantageous as technology is, one of the disadvantages is that gadgets have restricted us from where we would have loved to visit, physically.

Ekpe should behave like the stakeholder he said he is. He has nothing to gain by making sweeping statements that are professionally suspicious otherwise he must be prepared to have the spirit responsible for exorcised from him.

To contemplate that anyone can stop the Governor from seeing him or any Journalist for that matter is the most wicked and unconscionable blackmail that could come from someone who says he is friendly to the Governor, his Government and his Media Minders. Et tu Henry Ekpe?

Truth is that Governor Uzodimma has not changed and will not change from being the good friend he has always been to the Journalists. What has changed is time and space and our failure to change along, will mean deliberate decision to remain rustic.

Nwachuku, Governor Uzodimma’s CPS/Media Adviser writes from Owerri

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