Expectedly, the concerned fellow who always reacts to my views was the first to remind me last Thursday that it was “Agwodinuju” day at the back page of Trumpeta newspaper. While I was getting set for the day’s work, the person’s text message entered my phone inbox, which states “thank you for treating my text message in today’s edition, I also appreciate the revelation u made about how Rochas benefited from Ohakim’s govt. But I still believe dat if this govt were to offer u an appointment, u will take it, so, d answer to ur friend’s question is capital YES!” That is from 08033337981. While I appreciated the fellow’s quick response, the articulate manner he constructs his/her text message excites me. Another fellow with 07065184451joined to state “Oga Agawodinuju” tank you so much. Your piece this wk is highly educative and expository, if not for your column, most Imo people wouldn’t ve known that b4 now, Ikedi Ohakim has done something good for Rochas when he was the Gov of Imo state even to the extent of asking him to nominate persons for appointment, which Rochas is not doing now. Ikedi did his road leading to his House “Imo people nakwa echeki”. Thank u KC. Talking about the revelation I made concerning Ohakim and Rochas, the present Imo State Governor was not the only beneficiary of Ohakim benevolence and collaborator between 2007 and 2011. There are other beneficiaries playing active role in Owelle’s government. What of the former Senator who represented Orlu zone, Chief Osita Izunaso. The suave politician who can be called Okorocha’s new found “man – Friday” will also be on the roll call of those to be prosecuted for not speaking out or publicly condemn any of Ohakim’s misdemeanors during the last administration. The Ohakpu – Oru West born politician has the tally Any Government In Power (AGIP Tally) taking into consideration his profile in Government House, Owerri.
I can vividly recall that from the Achike Udenwa tune in the famous Douglas House, Government House, Owerri, Izunaso joined to dictate the pace of governance in the state. therefore, the seasoned politician has a moral burden to bear if his new found friends continue to say that the twelve years spent by the former administrations since our nascent democracy debuted in 1999 was a colossal waste. Izunaso belonged to Udenwa’s “Kitchen cabinet” from 1999 to 2006. I knew when the Kpankpando Foundation exponent pulled strings for Udenwa in the media sector of the state. As Executive Assistant (Media) and Public Affairs) to Udenwa, Izunaso was a revered bridge – builder and used his magic wand to close Udenwa’s rank with the catenkerous pen pushers in the state. for record purposes, some seasoned journalists who practiced in the state ten years ago cannot deny that their MTN phone pack (A SIM card and Truim handset) courtesy of Achike Udenwa was packaged and facilitated by Izunaso. No wonder one will notice that most of their phone numbers begin with 0803327 before the last four digits. Having served Udenwa, Izunaso was arranged to vie for the Ohaji/Egbema/Oguta and Oru West Federal constituency seat where he picked PDP ticket and was elected in 2003. Despite his federal lawmaker status, Izunaso was at home with politics of the state and rendered tactical support to the second term tenure of Udenwa. Some of us who were field journalists during that era knew how his mercurial maneuvering brought in the firm, Rhas that managed Concorde Hotel for years as well as other contracts in the state. During the “Onongono” group versus “Abuja” politicians squabbles of 2005/06 prior to the 2007 general elections, the Onongono Group led by Gov Udenwa, Dr Aleax Obi et al positioned Izunaso to challenge Arthur Francis Nzeribe for the Orlu Zone seat. Inside sources within the Onongono camp disclosed that the group wanted to fly a kite by presenting Izunaso because there was a face before unmasking the face behind the mask. Trouble ensued within the “Onongono camp” when Izunaso finally emerged the PDP candidate for Orlu Zone. The ebullient lawmaker refused to be “used to stop Nzeribe and dumped after wards” Unconfirmed reports have it that Izunaso was asked to step down for Udenwa for the Senate seat. The rumours were confirmed few days to the election when Izunaso with his campaign team addressed the press at the Redemption Hall of Concorde Hotel where he debunked the reports and went further to indicate that he was still in the race which he won. That refusal to abdicate his ticket for Udenwa soured his relationship with Udenwa. He identified with Ohakim government and was the only senator among the three representingImoState who stood behind Ohakim during that era. A rosy relationship existed between Ohakim and Izunaso until the “Politricks” of 2010 preceding 2012 election cropped up. The desire of another pro – Ohakim die – hard, Hope Uzodinma, to replace Izunaso instituted mutual mistrust in the Ohakim camp. Izunaso went his way when it became crystal clear he has lost the PDP ticket for Orlu zone senate to Uzodinama. The resultant effect was Izunaso’s deft move to the Rescue Mission camp of Gov Okorocha. The list is endless. Many persons serving in the present government would have been dragged to court for maintaining incriminating silence during Ohakim’s regime because they were beneficiaries than me who was only conscripted to serve as the image maker of Speaker Opiah and to an extent members of that House. It was my professional duty to defend their misdeeds and project them in acceptable manner before the public. “I was not part of the zombie politician playing politics of the stomach.” I am a professional.”
On the issue of accepting an offer from Okorocha’s government which the fellow said my answer is capital YES. Yes, I will accept. Why would I not accept? I have no problems with the state Governor. My non – acceptance of any appointment from the present government indicates that I am bias with my reportage nursing ill – feeling against the Rescue Government which is unethical for a practicing journalist. If I hate Owelle government and the Rescue team, I would have shunned a recent parley the Governor had with publishers inImoStateat the refurbished Multi – purpose hall.
Despite state government antagonistic posture to my medium as they have never honoured us with any advertorial and considered it necessary to invite our correspondents to its functions in Government House, where Okorocha’s media coordinators refused to grant us request to have a report like other media houses in the state, Trumpeta never shy away from Government House press release sent to our email box except when they are stale stories.
We are in business, and when you open a shop, you don’t reject customers. That is what we are doing in Imo Trumpeta. After the interactive session with the Governor, our editorial crew was able to applaud the Governor for putting in place a state of the art conference hall in Government House that matches modern standard in the weekend’s edition in one of the POPULAR SIDE page even as Owelle was given a knock for not having regards for relics. Like I said earlier, I can only accept to work for Owelle’s government under condition taking into consideration, the little but wonderful experience I had as Chief Press Sec, CPS to a Speaker, I have also realized that managing journalists as an image maker is a difficult task many would manage to excel. Anybody who has worked as SA, EA media and CPS would testify that pen pushers are difficult.
No wonder one of my mentors in the pen pushing profession, Hon Declan Mbadiwe Emelumba rejected the House Committee chairman on Information of Imo State House of Assembly offered to him on several occasion during his 8 years in the House. ‘Lumbas’ as the diminutive lawmaker is fondly called disclosed that he prefers concentrating in his lawmaking business than accommodating journalists “rantings and naggings” Any media handler in a government should be provided with necessary “logistics” by his / her principal to undertake the odious task. The unit will be properly funded and adequately supported because media relations is a capital intensive sector where the person in charge will not be like a farmer sent to farm without working implements. My views, professional and technical inputs will also be considered by my principal to avoid pitfalls that would attract scathing and uncouth remarks from the public and media.
Another prominent issue raised by the fellow in the earlier text message is that “the owners of this paper all worked under the previous govt, an u guys are not happy dat ur master was stopped from getting a second term in office thereby relieving u of ur pond of flesh, u established a paper solely for the aim of attacking Rochas and his govt…. “I must confess that the views expressed by this my new friend who I have not met in person is either out of malice or sheer ignorance of our antecedents and professional status. Suffice it to note that the three of us who are sole owners, co-publishers and directors of the newspaper were practicing journalists before our political appointments and have no option than to return to the newsroom at the end of our appointments to make a living. Who is even sure that if Ohakim and Opiah had returned as Governor and Speaker respectively, we would have retained our position? Did Nina Niboro Jonathan’s former spokesman retain his position after the April 2011 election? Niboro has been with Jonathan since his Deputy Governor days in Bayelsa. If Niboro launches a newspaper today, will you say he will use it to sing praises of Jonathan and his administration because he was his former boss, or attack Mr President because he sacked him at the wake of this regime after years of partnership? We are in the newspaper business to continue our job and not for or against Okorocha, Ohakim Opiah, Udenwa, Ararume, Iwuanyanwu et al let me repeat that I cannot adopt a “vengeance mission” against Okorocha for any reason because I may be contracted to do another professional job, either to be an attack dog or propagandist for his next political ambition. Again, Imo Trumpeta would be embarking on self – destructive exercise if it engages in hate campaign against Okorocha’s government. The press is the watchdog of the society and this our job in Trumpeta. We have been able to discharge this function effectively without fear or favour, and mindful of ethical regulations involved in journalism.
We have not adopted this style because Okorocha and APGA are in power in the state and our former principals who are of PDP family lost to them. No, we would have also be firing on all cylinders if our former principals or other persons had won and had no place for us in their government. We are back to beat and free like the birds of the earth to fly to any limit without any hindrance from a boss. Those handling the media department of the state government should rise to the occasion and respond to any publication that is in contrast to the actions or in action of Owelle Rochas Okorocha’s administration. Imo Trumpeta blew the lid on the sale or concenssionaire of the state specialists Hospital and 10GeneralHospitals in the state. it was a fact we backed with letter written by the health commissioner concerning the arrangement with Lantech Solutions.
The commissioner of health also confirmed it. We also exposed the sale of Imo Water Corporation even as the company entrusted to manage it for 20 years has bolted away few weeks after operation. Recently, one of our stories, the 10% deduction for education levy the state government is removing from staff salaries was subject of discussion in a popular radio programm in the state. Few hours after the discussion on Hot FM People’s Assembly, Chinedu Offor Information Commissioner rushed to the radio station to debunk the report. That was a week after the story was published and government and their functionaries maintained sealed lips over the story and waited till it became a subject of discussion on radio. I expected Offor to have reacted on the letter written by the acting Chief Medical Director of IMSUTH who informed the various Labour Union in the teaching hospital of the deduction. If Trumpeta was established by the trio to castigate Okorocha, what is the grouse of the News Magazine against Owelle for branding Okorocha, the “Reckless Imo Emperor” in their recent edition? What are the interests of Sun, Nation, Compass, other media houses and even Leader of the Catholics to have engaged in vituperative media war against Okorocha Did their former masters battle the guber position with Okorocha?
Why crucify Trumpeta alone? Why?
Till next week when I will look at the controversial handover of General Hospitals to LANTECH solutions, thanks for having time to give my “Agwodinuju” sermon attention on “Before Trumpeta is Crucified” which ran for three weeks.
