X-Raying Abia Govt—Media Relationship Under Otti’s Administration

The relationship between the Abia State Government and the media has been described as cordial, yet “somewhat one-sided,” reflecting a partnership built on cooperation but strained by limited engagement.

Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Abia State Council, Comrade Chidi Asonye, made this known in an exclusive interview with THE WHISTLER, where he emphasized the role of the media as both partners in development and watchdogs of society.

“Yes, the media we all know is the watchdog of society and we are members of the fourth estate. That is to say, executive, legislative, judiciary, comes on our shoulders.

“Here in our state, first and foremost, leadership here is indeed focused on developmental journalism. The essence is to ensure that all parts of the state are evenly developed within the resources of the state.

“Since the coming into power of Governor Alex Otti, even before he came, most people in Abia were already disenchanted, going back to 2015. So when he came, the hopes of Abia people were sort of, it rose above what it used to be, because there was this expectation that this man would fulfill his campaign promises to Abians. Based on that, and as a leadership that is focused on developmental journalism, we decided to partner with the government.”

That partnership, however, has not translated into consistent access, particularly at the highest level of government.

“Up to today, three years after, my leadership has done everything, leadership after me did everything to have one-on-one with the governor as paying a working visit.

“It has not materialized. Three years later, members of the fourth estate of Abia, and in some areas, some of the aides will tell you, must everybody see the governor. NUJ, it’s not everybody. We have a role to play, and I’ve told you that. We have a responsibility to our people, we have a responsibility to our community, we have a responsibility to our environment. In all these years, like I told the governor last time at the media chats, I told him we have supported him from day one to this day.

“There’s no day we have risen against him. As in, journalists, we want you here, and we weren’t there. Go to the media chats, you’ll see the number of media men and journalists who appear there.

“If the relationship is not fine, I may stop them, I may tell them, anybody that sits there will be queried. But we allow that because we believe that hand in hand we can build this state to an enviable position where all of us and generations unborn will be proud of us in our roots. So I will tell you, our relationship has been fine, even though there are areas we are supposed to get it right that are yet to be gotten right.

“The relationship has been okay, we’ve supported the governor. I would rather say that it’s the government supporting us appropriately, adequately, that is lacking. But for us, supporting the government, working with the government, we’re having in mind that we want to develop Abia, not because we are partisan, but because we want to help any government that comes around that looks like it has interest in developing our state, to help it develop our state.

“So the relationship has been cordial, yeah. If there is anything, anywhere, it is the union that is not getting its adequate, well, getting it right, actually, that’s a part of a relationship where you come to the table, you talk. Whereas it’s still lacking. Apart from that, we’re giving maximum cooperation to this government in all its policies towards developing the state.”

Despite the concerns, Asonye insists the NUJ remains committed to constructive engagement, even as it seeks opportunities to directly interface with the governor.

“In three years?, if you say it’s almost a round table, as if we want it all day,no. We also have something to tell the governor.

“If the National Union of Road Transport Workers members and the executive can go to the governor and tell him we can, we can, because they also have their own part to play in government. You think a National Union of Road Transport Workers, they have something to tell the governor that’s meaningful and NUJ don’t have? So, that is it.

“Let’s come to the table, for instance, bring our cards to the table and say, okay, we can do this. That’s what we’re asking for.

“We are in partnership. If we are not in partnership, In short, have you seen any report coming negatively from Abia journalists? I’m not sure you’ve seen that, but rather we have gone the extra mile to publicize the government, even though the relationship is, like I would say, almost one-sided. We are here playing our role, and the government is there, not really, because they get to know what our problems are, what role we are supposed to be playing, and how to assist us in playing that role. No man is an island. That’s what I’m saying.

“But for your information, too, the effort to get across to the governor and have an interaction with him has metamorphosed into him giving us a time to come for a working visit on April 2. And by all good, we’ll be able to tell him what we are actually asking for about the relationship being one-sided.”

Beyond access, structural challenges also shape the conversation. The NUJ chairman pointed to the lack of a permanent secretariat and inadequate logistics as major limitations to effective journalism in the state.

“Our Secretariat, this NUJ in the whole country of Nigeria, is the only union, and is the only council that has no Secretariat. It’s not like we don’t have land. It’s not like the structure is not up. But up to a point, we don’t need to tell you the stories of how it happened in the past. We will bring that before the governor.

“I’m sure the governor already knows that this exists. They sent some guys from the Ministry of Housing to come and do an analysis of what is on ground and report back to the governor. We are yet to get feedback from those people to know what the report was and what the reaction of the governor was.

“For instance, here, we have a bus. When other councils of the union in the country come for a meeting, we can’t show off our own there because it is almost gone. And that’s one way, like in doing our job, I mentioned Ndi Okereke Abam, I told you, and you never asked me how I went there.

“Yes, once in a while, the CPS will come, the commissioner will come and say, come gentlemen, let’s go and see this. In our own case, we don’t always want to rely on come, let’s go and see. At times, we walk out on our own. That’s our rule. That’s one of our rules in government. When you tell us, according to the commission of information, according to the chief press secretary, who will tell us the government has done this, the government has done this, this is this, this is our expectation.

“Me, I can take a ride in that electric bus by myself and do my report from what I ask from the passenger. I can understand what is happening in Arochukwu by going there on my own, without coming with the Abia State government ABSG. And when the journalists come in, they say, ah, I hope there’s no problem. Now that you people are coming, please come and tell us what’s the impact of this thing to your people. And that’s why the Ndi Okereke, I have Abam man will tell you, before now, they passed through hell. Like, if you want to build in your village, you cannot.

“When you get to Omenuko Bridge, the trailer will park, offload all the cement, everything you are going to build with, and you engage people who will carry that. Whether it’s 10 miles inside, 10 kilometers inside, they will do that. But today, they have their road. And how do you know how they feel?

“You go in there, ask them questions, both the farmers and the other road users. So these are what we are supposed to do. And when we are confined in our shelves because we can’t reach out because of mobility, you see that we are having issues. And I’m sure, I’m aware, that the government is capable of doing that. In other states, they do it.

“In Akwa Ibom, the other day, I’m sure you’ve been to Akwa Ibom, the NUJ council chairman got a SUV, and all the Excos got saloon cars. But we’re not even asking for that. Let’s just get a good vehicle that can take us in and out of the hinterlands to do our work.

“So that the story will change from what the Abia state government has said to the people, to this is their reaction to this and that, that’s the area we want to go according to our aim and purpose and the focus of doing something tangible in developmental journalism and developing the entire state.”

Offering a different perspective, the Chairman of the Online Media Practitioners Association of Nigeria (OMPAN), Abia State Chapter, Chief Promise Uzoma Okoro, described the relationship between the government and the media as largely functional and structured.

“As the Chairman of the Online Media Practitioners Association of Nigeria (OMPAN), Abia State Chapter, I can confidently say that Governor Alex Otti’s relationship with the media is largely working, and it is not by coincidence.

“First, it is anchored on clarity of communication and performance. The Governor has maintained a style that is data-driven, consistent, and policy-focused. For media practitioners, that makes our job easier because information coming from the government is structured, verifiable, and not unnecessarily politicized.

“Secondly, there is a level of proactive engagement. The government does not completely wait for narratives to spiral before responding.

“Official communications, press briefings, and updates are fairly regular, which helps in managing public information and reducing speculation.

“Most importantly, the administration understands that performance itself is communication. When there are visible projects, reforms, and measurable progress, the media naturally has credible content to work with. That has significantly strengthened the relationship.

“Now, beyond that, one initiative that deserves to be highlighted is the Governor’s monthly media chat. That platform has created a structured opportunity for direct interaction between the Governor and the media. It enhances transparency, allows for questioning, and gives room for clarification on critical issues. It is a commendable step toward deepening accountability and public trust.

“However, like every evolving system, there is still room for improvement. There is a need to: Broaden access across all media platforms, especially emerging digital voices.

“Strengthen informal engagement with practitioners. More aggressively manage narratives in the digital space where misinformation spreads rapidly.

“In summary, the relationship is working because it is built on performance, structure, and intentional communication, but it can become even stronger with deeper inclusiveness and faster digital responsiveness.”

The Chief press secretary to Governor, Ukoha Njuko Ukoha on his part also described the relationship with the media as professional. He noted that the government has always responded to inquiries from the Abia State media.

He explained that the new Abia State government is not media shy and has her doors open to discuss just anything happening around the state.

“The relationship is both cordial and professional. The Government is always responsive to inquiries from the Abia media space and the media has been balanced in their reportage about events in the State.

“It is noteworthy to point out that, His Excellency, Dr Alex Chioma Otti, OFR, engages the Abia media once every month in a live programme tagged, ‘Governor Otti speaks to Abians”, where the Governor takes questions from the Abia Press and provide clarity to Government policies and programmes.

“It is also a practice in Abia State under Governor Alex Otti, to hold an Executive Council Meeting every Monday to appraise the performance of various MDAs in the previous and chart the EXCO directives for Execution in the new week.

“The commissioner for information with other members of the Governor’s media team and selected commissioners are directed to meet the Press for a Media Briefing to inform the Abia Media of the outcome of the weekly Executive Council Meeting.

“The new Abia Government is not media shy and has her doors open to discuss just anything happening around the State,” he said.