Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti says his administration will strengthen the existing relationship between the State Government and the media in Abia State. Governor Otti stated this during the grand finale of the 2023 Press Week of the Correspondents Chapel of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Abia State held at Aguiyi Ironsi Conference Centre, Umuahia. He commended members of the press in Abia State for their support to the present administration and assured that the partnership would be sustained.
The Governor represented by the Commissioner for information and Culture, Prince Okey Kanu described the theme of the event “The 2023 Elections: A Post -Mortem, Media Perspectives In Rebuilding Public Confidence In Future Elections as apt. He said the issues of the 2023 elections are still reverberating in the nation and deserve attention.
Otti stated that he is in a hurry to rebuild Abia State and affect the lives of the citizens and residents positively noting that no amount of propaganda would distract him from his resolve to build a new Abia. He congratulated the Correspondents Chapel of the NUJ on her Press Week and assured of his support to assist the NUJ achieve her goals. Speaking, the Chairman of the occasion and Member representing Ikwuano/Umuahia Federal Constituency, Chief Obi Aguocha urged the journalists to remain objective in their reportage to make the society better.
He said Governor Alex Otti has the capacity to take Abia to the next level and appealed to journalists to support the Governor in that regard. The lawmaker, who made a case for the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, a member of his constituency stressed the need for the media to collaborate with him in ensuring that he is released from illegal detention, emphasizing that the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu would bring about peace in the South East as some unscrupulous individuals are hiding under the agitation to cause insecurity in Igboland.
In his goodwill message, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Kazie Uko while congratulating the Chapel on her event thanked journalists in Abia State for their support to the Governor Otti led administration from campaigns period to election and inauguration.
He said that the government of Dr. Alex Otti is anchored on creating wealth for the citizens. According to the spokes man of the Governor, everything Governor Otti is doing in the State, whether in trade, agriculture, industrialization, security, ease of doing business , infrastructural development, healthcare, education among others are all geared towards creating wealth and rebuilding the State.
Earlier in his address, the Chairman, Correspondents Chapel of the NUJ in Abia State, Chief Obinna Ibe said Press Week is an occasion of appraisal and stock taking among journalists visa-a-vis, reviewing how journalists have adhered to the tenets of journalism.
He commended Governor Alex Otti for his giant strides in Abia and the good working relationship existing between the State Government and the media in Abia State. Chief Ibe highlighted some challenges of the Chapel and the NUJ in Abia State, especially, lack of secretariat and appealed to the Abia State government to assist in arresting those challenges.
