By Henry Ekpe
Journalism is a very important aspect of the Society. Hence Journalists are called the Fourth Estate of the Realm. Meaning that apart from the Three main Arms of Government namely; Judiciary, Legislature and Executive, Journalism and its practitioners are the Fourth in Line.
In my University days, one of my Mass Communication Lecturers, Prof Umoren Noah will always ask us: Imagine what the world would look like without people communicating with each other for a day?
Imagine what the Society would look like without the Journalists informing the masses of the activities of Governments?
Military administrations everywhere in the world fear Journalists. Their apprehension is the phobia of their activities being exposed to the public.
But in a democratically elected Government, there ought to be Free Press; meaning that the Press is at Liberty to inform the people, no matter whose ox is gored. But it must be within the ethics of the Profession. Which is that the truth must be said, after hearing from all involved.
Journalists are also Agenda Setters, by directing Governments on the feeling of the people, which propels a listening Government to do the needful.
Therefore, Journalists are Nation Builders, in conjunction with the Three Organs of Government.
In Imo State, Journalism is a flourishing profession because the State is highly populated with citizens who can read and write. Apart from Lagos or Abuja, there is no other State in Nigeria that can be compared to Imo State in terms of number of Media Houses.
In Imo State, there over Fourty Locally Published Newspapers. And after the State Government, Newspapers in Owerri are the next highest Employer of Labour in Imo. There are about Eight Private Radio Stations also.
But unfortunately, as time went on, the fortunes of the Newspapers in Imo State began to nosedive. Many may close shop before the end of this year due to harsh economic condition.
Newspaper business in Imo State became popular, and no more an exclusive reserve of the Government in 1999 when the Military went back to the Barracks, and Chief Achike Udenwa became Governor.
A few private Newspaper Houses joined the State owned Nigeria Statesman. They include Announcer Newspaper floated by Hon ThankGod Ezeani but Managed by late Nze Joe Anyama, Anglican Voice and Leader, owned by Churches, National Post, owned by Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, National Times owned by High Chief Bright Njoku and partners.
There were neigbouring Newspapers from Rivers, and Abia States that also circulated in Imo. And the regular major National Dailies.
The administration of Chief Achike Udenwa set the foundation for the Press/Government relationship. There was a very cordial relationship between the Imo Press and the then Udenwa administration.
And this was the magic of Udenwa’s Chief Press Secretary, Sir Bright Nwelue. Nwelue changed the office of CPS to a Public Relations Office. Nwelue became a darling of nearly all Media Men in the State then because of his conduct and Public Relations.
The Udenwa Media Team was made up of gentle men, which include then Mr Osita Izunaso, Emeka Omeihe , Prince Onunwa and others.
The Government House Press Centre was a must for every practicing Journalist in the State. Your daily duty was incomplete without visiting the Imo Government House Press Centre where the likes of Emma Okere (Radio Nigeria) Ben Duru (Daily Independent) Clara (Punch) Eugenia Okpara (Source Magazine) Chidi Nkwopara (Concorde) Gerry Ogu (This day) Saro (Guardian) held sway. I was the Government House Correspondent for Announcer Newspaper.
Nwelue created what he called stipends for all practicing Journalists in the State especially the Government House Correspondents to ease their jobs.
This stipend does not stop you from writing whatever is truth about the Government. Whether negative or positive.
I have not forgotten Late Mr Duru, the Director of Information Government House known for his slang; “F-ck you-F-ck You Men!”
Through Izunaso, many Journalists in the State got their first Handsets, called Sergiem.
Whether in sorrow or Joy, Bright Nwelue must be there with his Media Crew to be with you. When my father died he was there representing the Governor, while Late Dr Mrs Gloria Chukwukere, then Commissioner for Education represented the Government.
Udenwa gave due respect to Imo Journalists. He was free with them and could answer your questions without let.
Every Christmas, Journalists in the State got Hampers and Bags of Rice. It was an annual Ritual without fail until Udenwa left after Eight years in office.
By the Grace of God, I became the Chief Press Secretary to Udenwa’s successor, Dr Ikedi Ohakim. I succeeded Steve Osuji in office, becoming the first “Imo Based Journalist” to be made a CPS in Imo State. I was the Editor of Announcer Newspaper then. Before I arrived, all Chief Press Secretaries to Imo Governors were fished out from Lagos Media.
Luckily I already knew the terrain, and immediately adopted Nwelue’s model of seeing the office as a Public Relations Office to make friends for my Boss, Governor Ikedi Ohakim, than make enemies. I made myself available at all times to my colleagues.
I spent two memorable busy years on the seat and left remarkable marks that are still indelible there till date. I shared whatever I had with my Colleagues. I visited them frequently in their offices to know their problems, and those I could help them solve.
I supported some get married, assisted others buy vehicles, helped many own Journalism Gadgets, contributed to those building Houses etc. One day I visited a Newspaper House and found they had no fridge and immediately ordered two fridges for them. They still use those fridges today.
I was present in almost every Wedding, Child Dedication, House Warming, Burials of members or Relations of Fellow Journalists.
But it was not rosy, one of the major problem I had then was from the Lagos axis because I was appointed from my position as Editor of Announcer Newspaper based in Imo State. I never practiced in Lagos and knew nothing of Lagos Press. yet I could not succeed without them.
The hard hitters from Lagos then include Oguwike Nwachukwu of Daily Independent, presently the Chief Press Secretary to Gov Hope Uzodinma.
The seat in Owerri became too hot that I had to move to Lagos to see the Media Men there. I met Oguwike Nwachukwu and his friend and brother Ikechukwu Amaechi, and from hence they became my major help across Lagos Media until we left office in 2011. And we remain brothers till today.
However, Ohakim had star studded Media Team, from whose knowledge I drank from every day. The likes of Late Pini Jason, Dr Etelberth Okere, Anty Louisa Aguiyi Ironsi, Dr Amanze Obi (Commissioner for Information) Kezie Ogaziechi (Commissioner for Local Government). We had the likes of Kanayo Esinulo and Louis Odion operating from outside, supporting us.
Another problem I had was that my Principal, Ohakim reads everything. Infact, he is the one that draws my attention to openings and how to close them. Even before I present the Newspapers to him in the morning, he would have gotten information. He was a voracious Reader. This made my job more tough. And unfortunately, there were no WASAP, Facebook, etc then.
He knows nearly all the Journalists in Imo by their names. Those that felt difficult for me to reach in Lagos or Abuja, he helped facilitate. He introduced me to people like Femi Adesina (Kulikuli) who is now Special Adviser SA (Media) to President Buhari. I knew Steve Nwosu of SUN through him. He made me also meet Dabo, Editor of Guardian Newspaper who is now Ambassador to Benin Republic and others.
Ohakim made sure that every advertorial sent to two National Dailies were sent to at least three Local Newspapers. And I was paying one hundred and fifty (N150,000)one colour page to Imo Based Newspapers. This was twelve years ago when Imo Allocation was peanuts.
Wraparounds which cost over Nine Hundred Thousand Naira (N900,000) then were also shared to major Imo Based Newspapers like Newspoint and Announcer. And I paid them cash. Some of them bought official vehicles and Lands.
But today, Government of Imo State would want to pay (N10,000) for one full page colour advert. That is if the Government has advert for you at all. So, how is Government encouraging entrepreneurship in the Media Industry in the State?
Ohakim was ready to address the Press anywhere and at any time, apart from the usual Wednesday Press Briefings after State Executive Council Meetings where Government policies are xrayed for Reporters.
Governor Rochas Okorocha who took over from Ikedi Ohakim had no phobia for the Press. It is true that my Newspaper, TRUMPETA was blacklisted by his administration for Eight years from entering Government House Owerri, but the Okorocha regime benefited a lot of Journalists who worked with him.
He held Press Conferences many times and even sent some Journalists on oversea tours. He donated a Building to Imo NUJ and could easily identify the Journalists by their names.
His Chief Press Secretary CPS, Sam Onwuemeodo was combative, because of the situation he found himself. His Boss was a political Gadfly, and eccentric who in most cases put Onwuemedo in difficult positions through his unguarded utterances leaving Onwuemeodo to continue to defend him.
Now with the current Administration of Senator Hope Uzodinma, the space between Imo State and the Journalists in Imo has widened tremendously. And the Government does not care, as if they feel more at home without the Journalists looking into Government businesses, which unfortunately shuts out Government policies from the public domain.
There is no relationship between the Governor and Journalists, even as they are at loss of what are Imo Government policies. There is no contact with the Chief Press Secretary or the Commissioner for Information about Government. No regular channel to know what is happening in the State.
After waiting for Governor Uzodinma for nearly Nine months without engaging the Home Based Journalists, the Imo Newspaper Publishers Association, INPA, which I am the Chairman, wrote twice to seek audience with the Governor. And there was no reply till date. The letters were passed through courier services.
For the seven months Governor Emeka Ihedioha was in office, he met INPA twice, and the State Correspondents of Newspapers. Ihedioha calls Journalists on his own when the need arises.
He knows nearly all the Journalists by their names and had his own personal relationships with them. Things were looking up rosy until he was removed from office.
After more than one year in office Uzodinma has not met Imo Journalists and does not bother. The Government has resolved it is better to move on without Journalists.
The only attempt to meet the Governor was last December and was aborted at the last minute with the excuse of Covid 19.
And it worries why the situation is like this when there is a Commissioner for Information in the person of Hon Declan Mbadiwe Emelumba who is a “Home grown Journalist” somehow. He once worked with Governor Udenwa as a Media Chief and practiced in Imo.
Many say the Governor Uzodinma is scared of facing Imo Journalists as he does not know what the question may spontaneously ask him. Why should that be? Is there any question that a sitting Governor cannot answer? For how long will he evade Imo Journalists? Is it not the same Governor that speaks to Journalists in Abuja, Lagos and elsewhere?
The truth is that Imo Journalists are finding it tough in the Uzodinma administration, as the Relationship with Government is drab and non existent.
Both the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor or the Commissioner for Information has never visited any Media House or the Correspondent Chapel to at least familiarize themselves with their “Colleagues”. It is usually the first ritual for anybody appointed in such positions.
The Chief Press Secretary is cocooned in his office in Government House, while the Commissioner is always at Radio Stations debunking opposition allegations. Under this situation, Imo Journalists have no source to verify Government information.
While in some States, like Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Cross Rivers Local Media Houses are “Subsidized” since they help in reducing unemployment in the States, here in Imo, the Hope Uzodinma Government is asking the Local Newspapers to pay the sum of Five Million Naira (N5m) as Tax which was back-dated to previous administrations without asking if the Government has provided the amenities that guarantees request for such humungous levies.
Recently, the Publisher of Nigeria Watchdog, Comrade Precious Nwadike was allegedly assaulted by a Relation of the Governor, yet till date no personnel of the Government, at least from the Media Team has put a call across to find out if the story was true or false.
Even if other politicians don’t care, the Media Men among the Governor’s Aides should have shown some sympathy to a colleague, since Dog no de chop Dog.
Government appointment does not last forever.
They should ask Chiji Collins, the former Imo House of Assembly Speaker, and now Uche Ogbuagu the Majority Leader, until yesterday.
