Is Governor Alex Otti Really Speaking To Abians?

By Uzoma Isiakpu*

The monthly media interaction by the Abia State Chief Executive, titled “Governor Alex Otti Speaks To Abians,” which is streamed live online on many radio, television, and social media platforms, is a well-planned programme. It not only depicts the Governor’s media managers as creative thinkers, but it also demonstrates that they are well-prepared to boost their Principal’s image and spread his accomplishments abroad. Such regular media engagement is an effective information management strategy.
The Honourable Commissioner for Information and Culture; Prince Okey Kanu, the Governor’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity; Ferdinand Ekeoma, the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary; Kazie Uko, and other media aides to the Governor deserve recognition for their innovation and flawless execution thus far. Undoubtedly, the programme is having the desired effect. Governor Alex Chioma Otti’s calm, calculated, intelligent, and logical responses to posted questions give the impression that he has a thorough understanding of all aspects of his administration. He is truly in charge.
However, based on the programme’s title, the critical question is whether Governor Alex Otti is really speaking to Abians during the monthly media interactive session. To the originators and media handlers of the Governor, the response to the ensuing poser will be a resounding yes. However, some outside the corridors of power believe Governor Alex Otti is not speaking to Abians.
Despite extensive media coverage and publicity, how many Abians in the State’s rural and local government areas tune in to listen to the Governor and his intelligent explanations of his administration’s activities, programmes, and milestones? How many of the rural and illiterate folks have access to Android phones? How many of them have transistor radios and television sets? How many people read newspapers?
The truth is that the majority of those living in rural areas who own phones can only boast of Nokia Touch and not Android. Those who can afford Android may not always have access to a charger. Furthermore, due to frequent power outages and the high cost of fuel to power generators for those who own one, phones in rural areas are always turned off. Similarly, due to a lack of power supply, television sets in villages and communities are only used as decorative items.
And, unlike the peasant Hausa and his Fulani counterparts, whose ears are constantly glued to their transistor radios, our rural dwellers do not have the same situation. Even when they can get a battery to power the radio, our people rarely listen to it. They are usually preoccupied with one or more communal activities, rather than listening to the radio.
Even the literate few are unfamiliar with newspaper reading at the grassroots level. Newspapers are neither circulated nor sold in the hinterland.
Because of the current harsh economic realities, citizens, including rural dwellers, are more concerned with making ends meet than with listening to or watching Governor Alex Otti speak to Abians.
Again, it appears that the friendship developed between the journalists and the Governor is gradually weighing on the reporters’ inquiries. Follow-up questions are rarely asked, failing to provide critical information.
Based on the foregoing, we propose a paradigm shift in the programme to allow Governor Alex Otti to truly speak with Abians. Since taking office, the Governor has not toured the State’s 17 local government areas or three senatorial districts to specifically interact with the people, except when projects are flagged off or inaugurated. ‘Governor Alex Otti Speaks To Abians’ must therefore be relocated to Council Areas or Senatorial Districts so that the Governor can meaningfully interact with the Abians who overwhelmingly elected him in 2023. Such a platform, in addition to allowing Governor Alex Otti to express his gratitude to the Abia electorate for their solidarity and support, will also bring to his attention the unique needs of various communities that he is unaware of.
The beneficial effects of the grassroots interactive session cannot be overstated.
To break the monotony of the current programme, the State’s Body of Veteran Journalists could be invited to interview the Governor on occasion. The body, which includes former Secretary to the State Government, Chief Press Secretaries, Permanent Secretaries, Directors of Federal Media Agencies, State Directors of Information, Ag. The Director General of BCA, and other top media figures, will be brave enough to ask the Governor questions that the regular journalists on the programme are afraid to ask.

* Isiakpu is a media consultant based in Umuahia.