Wednesday 19 August 2015

Appointment Of Aniagwu As Chief Press Secretary, Matters Arising


IN writing on the appropriateness of the choice of Mr. Ehiedu Aniagwu with the attendant matters arising, seemingly encapsulated in Advisory slot, I tend not to go frenzied in search of his memoir so as to be able to drive my points home logically. But I write as much as I can, from a no-near circuitous information bandied to me. Of course, having known his father, the Obasogie of Akumazi kingdom, Chief Agboje Aniagwu as a co-chief when he was alive to have been honesty, transparent and community development oriented, I gathered that Ehiedu is a chip off the old block with all the sublime characteristics in the father present in him.

As a journalist with African Independent Television (AIT), Abuja, a community development spirit and the love of the less privileged members of Akumazi kingdom, takes toll of his hard earned finances.

In return for the seeming depletion of his finances, his people were asking God to bless him for fortunes to smile on him. The blessings went to a crescendo to the point that his philanthropic gesture attracted an award from the Akumazi Progressive Union under the behest of the monarch of the kingdom, Ika North-East Local Government Area of the state, Agbogidi Obi Stephen Chukwuyemeze Osagie III (JP) with the APU president, Chief Solomon Chukwuma and the secretary to the Obi, Hon. Wallace Oso-aninim-gbu Okafor in tandem.

I think it was out of circumspective psychological of study and search for a seasoned journalists with the trait of developmental journalism that would help with the coordination of press secretaries nay the journalists in the state that Governor Okowa ferreted Mr. Ehiedu Aniagwu out of the suffocating crowd of journalists.

It is no gainsaying the obvious that Senator Ifeanyi Okowa made a very apt choice because Ehiedu, I am told, that his type of journalism as any other seasoned journalist who knows his/her onions is developmental, proactive and forthright turbined with the corner stones of journalism for acceptability in information skill and technology.

Having canvassed the appropriateness and worthwhileness of the appointment of the young man of Akumazi-Umuocha, Ika North-East Local Government Area of the state extraction, I deem it expedient to proffer some golden counsel for a near haven of successful stewardship to be attained and maintained for Governor Okowa-Otuaro’s governance. It is neither contestable nor excusable to say that for an administrator to succeed he/she, the administrator should be press-friendly not intimidating the press with lock outs and sanctions which worsen issues. The Press should not be gorged.

With the appointment of Ehiedu as the Chief Secretary there should be matters arising there from, which should be considered to be very necessary in this golden slot. I would not belong to the bigoted brigade that would fancy that since Ehiedu is a cosmopolitan young man who knows his onions that he would arrantly be precluded from those that would treasure from the advisory words of our elders. Of course, I do not think whatsoever that for any moment in time that he would play the proverbial tortoise (courtesy of Gashin in his English book II for Secondary School please in paraphrases) who said he has got all the wisdom on earth and put them in an earthen pot tied it to his chest. He wanted to hide away the pot on top of a palm tree. Each time he climbed he fell back, until a have came and advised him to tie the pot on his back. He then realized that no one has all the wisdom to himself in this world.

Therefore, it is my counsel in chief that the Chief Secretary should revisit all those sublime ingenuities in the journalism profession which Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa detected in him that spurred him Dr. Okowa to appoint him, Ehiedu to a premier position of chief press secretary.

Secondly, the Chief Secretary should use his good offices as the Secretary-in-Chief to coordinate effectively other secretaries with him in tandem, nay the entire journalists in the state for the realization of good governance for Governor Okowa’s cabinet.
Thirdly, the chief Press Secretary should understand that he has an ambassadorial role to play in the government to boost the ego of the journalism as a profession and also maintain his already built up fame.

He should brace up to the challenge imposed by people’s apathy on The Pointer newspaper, and to an extent DBS television and radio. The Secretary should constantly orchestrate to the government with the frequency it demands that The Pointer that is in competent hands of administration should be properly refurbished and well funded to remove the ugly apathy and make it to be available in the reading public.

Nobody gains says the truism that The Pointer has qualified and competent staff that could compete with, and out-rival their colleagues elsewhere in media houses. The neglect foisted on The Pointer as a result of non availability in many places should stop.

It was a crash shame that during the whole period of gubernatorial election and swearing in ceremony even up till now that Governor Okowa’s take off activities remained and remain incommunicado in some parts of Ika nation and its environs. Is it not surprise that Governor Okowa’s people up till now do not hear on air what he has done and doing in governance because of the flimsy excuse that the Booster Station at Ubulu-Uku is faulty? This excuse has been on for many months.

The chief Press Secretary should, as a matter of fact and urgency it demands, see this ugly scenario staring the listening and reading public in the face as a challenge that should be addressed here and now so that the state government policies could reach all the nooks and crannies of the state.

Therefore, having canvassed the whole gamut of this discourse to a consummate finality, I feel it is now the opportune time to tell Mr. Ehiedu Aniagwu congratulations for a well deserved appointment with my candid commendation for the State Governor, Senator Arthur Ifeanyi Okowa for not only the appointment of Mr. Ehiedu Aniagwu, but for joining Prince Garuba Efeizomor and Mr. Jonathan Onwuka in the team of Press Secretaries.

Bon Voyage!

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