I want to use this opportunity to congratulate newly appointed Commissioners, Advisers, Senior Special Assistants and Personal Assistants appointed in the recent exercise by His Excellency, Owelle Rochas Okorocha. My warm felicitation also goes to Chairmen and Members of the re-constituted Boards and Commissions in the state.
Considering what it may have taken the new appointees to reach this height, worthy congratulation to them is well deserved. On sacking the entire strong 72-man enlarged Executive Council in July, Governor Okorocha rested for months before considering it necessary to re-constitute the state Exco. Within the stop gap, there were no doubts several shenanigans and undercurrent maneuvering before each of the victorious appointees were shortlisted. I am also aware that there were shufflement and reshufflements of lists. For instance, moments after list of commissioners’ nominees reached the Imo State House of Assembly, from Governor’s office, for screening and confirmation, plethora of petitions from different quarters welcomed it. The objections to some nominations gave way to premature postulations in few media houses that some Commissioner designates have been dropped. Indeed, unconfirmed reports filtered in that Kenneth Emelu, Ifeanyi Nwachukwu and one nominee from Aboh Mbaise, Charles Osondu have been shoved aside. Though Emelu and Nwachukwu survived the scare and have been handed their former portfolios in the new arrangement, Osondu was unlucky as Iheukwumere Alaribe replaced him as Commissioner.
I want to also thank God that after months of hill and insignificant activities in the state ministries, parasatals and agencies, there is no doubt that normal business events has resumed as the new appointees report at their respective offices for duties.
If the names of the new commissioners and their reassigned portfolios are considered, watchers of developing events in the state would continue to ponder on reasons for the sack of the commissioners in July. Apart from few former Commissioners who have bade bye to the State Executive Council, a reasonable percent made it back and regained their ministries. Instead of the full swoop that flushed out the entire Exco, one had expected Okorocha to have done a minor cabinet reshuffle where the former commissioners likes of Dr Joe Obi Njoku, Barr Emma Ekweremba, Mrs Ann Dozie, and Prof Adaobi Obasi would have been quietly shoved aside without much ado since their contemporaries are back to their seats.
As I welcome and wish the new appointees well, I enjoin them to use this singular opportunity to not only further the cause of Rescue Mission government in the State, but also institute enviable marks in the art of governance.
Incidentally, few persons I am very familiar with are among the privileged appointees manning sensitive positions. Aside from the Culture Adviser to the Governor, Paddy Obinna, who I fondly called “Nna m ukwu”, the two people entrusted with image laundering and publicity management, Chief TOE Ekechi and Sam Onwuamedo are my bosom pals. I have had intimate relationships with them before the dream of serving Owelle Rochas Okorocha. There is no way I will comment on this subject without first discussing the information and media sector where “My people” are now incharge. Therefore, I will begin with them.
While Ekechi whose full names are Theodore Okwu Ejike (TOE) is the Commissioner for Information, Onwuamedo is Senior Special Assistant (Media) to the Governor. There is no doubt that both will be mouthpiece for the present administration. I have known Ekechi for over a decade and can attest that considering his rich pedigree and unchallenged exposure in the media industry, he is eminently qualified to handle the information department of the state government. When the lists of Commissioners were made public, I needed no consultations to predict that the job of managing Rescue Mission image will fall on Ekechi. I am not from Ngor Okpala where Ekechi hails from, but on arrival to Owerri in 2003 as a correspondent of a national newspaper, the advertising and media-marketing guru was one of the fascinating politicians from the state I had opportunities of interacting with. I knew Ekechi through my former colleague who is from Ngor Okpala, Ben Obinna of blessed memory. Obinna started with National Question then in the care of Chief Dr Samfo Nwankwo, before joining Portharcourt-based Independent Monitor and later Source Magazine, where he was the state correspondent until his death in auto car crash that involved the member that represented Isu State Constituency in Imo State House of Assembly, Late Hon Agaptus, on their way to Enugu State for an official assignment involving South East States in 2006. Since then, the relationship with Ekechi blossomed and sometime last year, he was among the dignitaries who graced the official unveiling of Trumpeta newspapers. Apart from redeeming his pledge as unarguably the highest donor during the event, Ekechi in his speech made critical remarks about Trumpeta operations which have turned to be our watchword in editorial style. Therefore, in Trumpeta, we owe Ekechi a lot. To show that he is a thoroughbred politician with bias for the media at home, Ekechi is one of the few personalities and political figures who considered it necessary to host Chief Executives and publishers of Owerri-based tabloids oblivious of the fact that he would be appointed Information Commissioner in due course, Ekechi in May this year, hosted the members of Independent Newspapers Publishers Association, INPA, in his Owerri residence. The essence is to strengthen ties with the local pen pushers as rare bred professional.
In Onwuamedo’s case, the media fraternity drew us close. I first met him in 2003 during the tail end of the reign of Chief Godfrey Dikeocha as Speaker when I joined other colleagues to witness the valedictory session of the House as a new correspondent in the state. He was the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the Speaker. I am also aware that he could have been made the CPS to Speaker Emeritus, Rt Hon Goodluck Nanah Opiah as he also appeared in the scene before my eventual appointment. Till date, he enjoys a very good relationship with Opiah as both are bosom pals too. I appreciate Onwuamedo gestures during my CPS days. In one instance as CPS, he told me during a public function that “You are doing well” in office. I was elated by this courageous statement coming from a predecessor. We related well during that era though when necessary and as a professional, he never hesitated to also cast aspersions against my principal and Imo State House of Assembly through his column and Whitepaper Newspapers. I resisted the temptation to join issues with him because the Igbos will say “Umeji anaghi eri obi” (the liver does not eat the heart). When I joined my partners to float Trumpeta, we became members of the INPA until he joined the breakaway faction to form another group I don’t know what they call it with two other persons that are also wonderful colleagues and partners in the pen pushing business. Despite the INPA differences, we still observed our normal relationship till his recent appointment.
As seasoned operators in the media industry and journalists, there is no need reminding Ekechi and Onwuamedo the role of media in democracy. Since politics is a media game, divorcing the information players from the sport could be catastrophic. They are expected to throw a level playing ground to all operators and endeavour to be a smooth bridge between the government and the media. For the anticipated healthy working relationship between the Executive arm and members of fourth estate of the realm, as the media is regarded, the task of repairing communication gap between news hunters and government actors falls on the table of my friends. Above all, I enjoin them to eschew the ubiquitous hate campaign and orchestrated vengeance mission, that have characterized the activities of government officials in Imo State. I have always said that “enweghi onye aga arunye aka na ike agaghi aruta nshi” (there is no way you poke a finger into anus without foul smell of shit). It is therefore counter-productive to shut doors against media operators on activities of government irrespective of editorial policy and style. I have always believed that “When you close your doors against a guard who watches the society, be rest assured that the guard will turn into a peeping Tom; and you can guess what could be spotted during peeps; hidden things that are not meant for public consumption”. For Onwuamedo, I also expect my good friend to retrace his steps to reunite the INPA by instituting measures for a re-union. My friend should know that INPA as a strong and united front could make his job easier unlike the divided fronts advocated by him and other ilks.
As I share these glorious moments with my comrades in charge of the state government and Governor Okorocha’s public affairs, it is pertinent to intimate them of certain salient matters to be considered while discharging their duties. I have to graciously offer this piece of advice and it is done in good faith. The former media aides to Okorocha, namely, Chinedu Offor who moved from SSA media to Commissioner for Information, before the sack of the Exco and his SA Media counterpart, Ebere Uzoukwu did their best to uplift the image of the Governor and that of the Rescue Mission government. As they are settling down for duties, I expect them to undertake an appraisal of the activities of their predecessors for optimal performance. I also expect them to avoid common pitfalls that may have warranted the dislike and eventual exit of their predecessors. I must not fail to inform the Okorocha media team to eschew petty public relations approach that hinges on divide and rule tactics and avoid playing to the gallery. Every media is out to serve its readers by giving accurate account of information and news that is not dictated to it by the government in power. Except for state-owned media establishments like IBC radio and TV as well as the Statesman Newspapers, an independent media is not under any obligation to colour its editorial style in favour of the state government. My friends, Ekechi and Onwuamedo will understand this aspect better and I expect them to also inform and educate their principals on the role of the media in the society. Irrespective of the romance and personal relationship with the practitioners, ethics of the profession reigns supreme in the industry.
I recall vividly that one of the worst moments I recorded when I served politicians as media aide was whenever stories or news termed as “negative reports” about the Speaker and Imo House appear in the media. In one instance, Speaker Emeritus, Opiah summoned me and wanted to know why the good things they did in the House do not get banner and well positioned headline in the front page except scathing remarks in form of negative reports. I laughed over his worries but ended up by letting him know that the journalists are doing their jobs and professional duties. I managed to tutor him on operations of newsmen by stating that the hallmark of news reportage is objectivity no matter whose ox is gored. That is why the position of media aide is necessary to correct misconceptions and wrong impression created in the media. Now that Onwuemedo is back to a familiar terrain, he should let his employers know that objectivity is the key word in journalism.
I am not sure they were neither appointed just to fill the needed gap in executive council nor to enjoy the paraphernalia of office. I feel they came on board for strategic reasons required in information dissemination. I will also advise them to divorce from the mistakes of their predecessors who never knew where the offices of major newspaper houses were located in Owerri throughout their tenure in office as mediators between government and journalists. They should be proactive and counter-offensive when there is need to explain knotty areas in government policy and actions. Finally, their contacts and communication networks including phone lines should be readily available to newsmen for urgent confirmations and cross-checking of facts during reportage and understand what “time factor” and “going to bed” means in media production.
Before I depart this week to continue next edition with other appointees expected to turn around the fortunes of Okorocha administration, I want to employ comic relief in my submissions to my friends by narrating a short story from a comedian about an illiterate woman who boarded a flight from Enugu to Abuja. The illiterate woman who has an economy class ticket entered the aeroplane and sat on the front seat. A flight attendant quickly approached her about the wrong seat position, but she was unperturbed and maintained the first class seat. A junior pilot also approached her but the illiterate woman stayed unshaken, insisting she paid and had a ticket to Abuja. The attention of the pilot was drawn to the uncompromising approach of the woman. The pilot asked the cabin crew to calm down and told them he will handle the matter since his wife is also an illiterate woman. Meanwhile, there is growing disquiet on board before the pilot quietly moved to the trouble-shooting woman and gently approached her. Only a tactical whisper to the woman’s ears that the first class seat she occupied which is not meant for her is for those not going to Abuja. The woman quietly and vacated the seat and moved to the economy class of those supposedly going to Abuja even as the flight is Abuja bound. Till next week when the story continues.
