“Information Commissioner has also not facilitated any interface between the government and the media community.” —Ebuka Onyekwelu
Recent developments, particularly political exchanges in Anambra State, have ignited concerns about how duly committed the government of Anambra State led by Prof. Soludo is on governance protocol or perhaps, if the government is merely using governance instruments as political tools. What is clear is that there is a mismatch of responses from the government, which raises the question of why it has to be so.
The government usually has different spokespersons under various nomenclatures. Some of these structures exist also in the party, for obvious reasons. Politics and governance are not the same and it has to be clear when the governor is speaking, when the government is speaking, and when the party is speaking. Governance is a business of protocol. Hence, a governor usually has his own personal appointees. The State Government also has dedicated appointees. Although all are appointed by the governor or influenced by the governor in the case of party officials, yet, they do not do the same thing and should not overrun each other’s duties because every government appointment has a clear job description and schedule of duty. It is to that extent even more awkward that it is becoming more difficult to distinguish when the Governor of Anambra State is speaking or when the appointees of the governor are speaking of their own accord. It is also not easy to decipher when the State Government is speaking.
Two days ago, the Governor’s Press Secretary, Christian Aburime, who, it is supposed, is the governor’s private voice and interface with the media community in Anambra State, was the person who responded to Anambra State APC Chairman Basil Ejidike, said that “APGA will die a natural death in 2025.” In response, the Governor’s Press Secretary said that “APC doesn’t exist in Anambra.” But here is the thing. Should the governor’s private mouthpiece be responding to the Anambra State APC chairman when there is also the APGA State Chairman, the APGA State Publicity Secretary, and numerous other appointees of the government on media, who are more fitting to reply to the APC Chairman? Not long ago, the Governor’s Press Secretary also led the barrage of responses to Chukwubike Uloka’s articles which were not in favor of the governor. Before then, it was also the Press Secretary who released the government’s official position on the abuse of a GUO driver by alleged thugs attached to Ossy Onuko, Managing Director of Awka Capital Territory Development Authority – ACTDA. One wonders why the Press Secretary, who it is assumed communicates the mind or position of the governor, has to be so frequent with some of these issues which would have been more appropriate for others to address. In other words, Aburime is the one man with many voices, who speaks for the governor, speaks for the government and lately, speaks for APGA. He singularly leads the charge on all three fronts, setting agenda and focus of all media paraphernalia of the entire state government. One can only imagine how this is received.
Meanwhile, for nearly two years, the Press Secretary has not facilitated any kind of interface with journalists in Anambra State or the media community. For nearly two years, the Press Secretary is yet to organize any meeting between the media community and the governor. The Commissioner for Information has also not facilitated any interface between the government and the media community in Anambra State. In fact, the media community in Anambra is yet to formally know who the Governor’s Press Secretary is. They are also yet to know the Commissioner for Information. The irony of it all is that while the Press Secretary Chris Aburime, was responding to APC Chairman in Anambra State, the NUJ Chairman in Anambra State, Dr. Emeka Odogwu, averred that Anambra State Government led by Governor Soludo doesn’t have a good relationship with the media. But the Press Secretary conveniently went silent over this important issue that concerns his office directly, raised by no less of a person than the Anambra NUJ Chairman.
As it is now, the Commissioner for Information, Paul Nwosu, it would appear, has been confined to irregular press releases and nothing more. In any case, the Press Secretary’s comments and releases give or take, are the governor’s own viewpoint. But if it is not the case, then, that is the impression. Perhaps, Aburime is efficient and handy, however, the more he engages, the more the governor and the government are open to more media attacks.
There is a reason the party has a full operational structure and there is a reason both the government and the governor have their own media heads and spokespersons. I must however admit that the governor can decide to run his administration with only a handful of people, doing the job of hundreds of men. But there are consequences.
He is a Technical Assistant to Governor Willie Obiano’s Special Adviser on Legislative Matters, whoonce was a Special Adviser to a former Deputy Speaker of Anambra State House of Assembly. Ebuka is a second class upper division graduate of Political Science from University of Calabar, Calabar Nigeria and holds a Masters Degree in Political Science with specialization in Government and Development Studies, from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka Nigeria
