Apparently worried by his dwindling popularity and fruitless efforts to gag the press, the Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma is said to have, through a proxy reached out to some select Journalists and Publishers in the state to find a way of down playing the flaws of his administration.
A source who was privy to the arrangement disclosed that the Governor’s proxy had pleaded with journalists who attended the meeting he convened, to do all they can to play down the arrest and detention of the Ozisa fm radio station ace broadcaster, Nonso Nkwa and at the same time defend the state government by saying that the arrest of the former was spear headed from Abuja and not by the Uzodinma administration.
On this note, he assured those present that, henceforth, he will be making available monthly stipends for their media houses.
It was also gathered that, disappointed by Emelumba’s inability to properly launder his image, Uzodinma decided to use a proxy to address the issue of negative publicity.
Recall, that Journalists in Imo State had persistently called for the sack of the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Declan Emelumba who they accused of anti-media actions, highhandedness, intimidation and deliberate balkanization of the Nigeria Union of Journalists NUJ, Imo State Council.
But regrettably, Governor Uzodinma ignored our reports and protests because he prefers using Emelumba to do hatchet jobs”.
They opined that, Emelumba, since assumption of office as a Commissioner, has been involved in the arrest, detention and harassment of several journalists in the state.
One of such cases is the harassment, intimidation and subsequent suspension of Barr Vivian Otti, a former staff of the Imo Broadcasting Corporation IBC, who voluntarily tendered her resignation as result of Emelumba’s penchant for armtwisting her, alongside other media practitioners. It is on record that he, (Emelumba) wrote the petition that led to the arrest and unlawful detention of Nonso Nkwa on the basis of frivolous allegations”
