It was Toba Beta who writes in the work “Master of Stupidity” that disinformation is duping; misinformation is tricking.
The above maxim typifies the expression of the work circulated on print and electronic media by a critic recently, titled “Misgovernance: See Aba and Weep!” Although, the writer might be one of those who do not check their facts very well before they use, because they prefer to dish out anything their brains could afford them against the government of Chief Theodore Orji and, they call such compost, critiques of the Governor Orji administration.
The writer started his article by boasting and praising himself of how he has been a writer, journalist and media strategist for over two decades; something that makes him a swollen-with-pride critic and all that he expressed in the article bloated. By the caption of the article by the writer, one could think that the governor had abandoned Aba since he came into power, but that was not true.
From the office of the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, it was noted that the governor has not abandoned Aba, as the area is most appealing to his heart. It was also noted that the governor has not only executed many projects in Aba, but has also been putting every measures in place in making sure that all the “Legacy Projects” he has executed and initiated in Abia State are sustained and moved to whoever that would be the next governor of the state by 2015, for sustainability.
The writer wrote that amenities that make life meaningful are in lack in Aba. He forgot that just as there is no complete human being anywhere in the world, so also there is no complete society anywhere in the world. Even the Washington DC in the United States is still harnessing measures to be upgrading the amenities in it; the same is applicable to what Governor Orji is doing in Abia State: Upgrading every facet of human and material developments in the state without exemption of any area.
The writer wrote that people from Aba are migrating to other states like Rivers State, yet he did not tell the world that the same Rivers State he took to the Olympian Height is where the residents migrate from to Aba to buy goods and services, especially in Ariaria Market and Alaoji Auto Parts. All in Aba.
If Aba was as bad as the writer had wanted us to believe, the good people of Rivers State would not be on the Enugu/Port Harcourt Expressway 24/7 heading to Aba to buy items for sales and domestic use. It is apparent to write that Aba under Governor Orji has not lost its pride as the critic wanted us to believe. He cannot be in Abuja and be telling the world how Aba is.
It is sad that journalism in Nigeria is now being turned to be like a show business by unprofessional, who would do anything morally wrong for their ‘stomach infrastructure’. Neil Postman warns in his work, “Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business” that: If politics is like show business, then the idea is not to pursue excellence, clarity or honesty but to appear as if you are, which is another matter altogether.
It is palpable that Postman is right, giving another article by a critic, titled, “GOV. T.A. ORJI BRIBES NATIONAL PDP WITH N5B?” The writer of this article made it look like the governor and some persons are in enmity, whereas the governor is enjoying a harmonious relationship with his people both at home and in the diaspora. Senators Uche Chukwumerije, Nkechi Nwaogu and Enyinnninya Abaribe have never said that they hated Governor Orji, although they might differ on certain issues; where does differences do not happen? Even among brothers and sisters of the same parentage, they do differ.
That article was yet based on arrogant disinformation borne out of maladroit behaviours that some persons have nursed against Governor Orj for reasons best known to them. Where and who said that Governor Orji bribed the National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP to accept his list of Abia delegates for the primaries with the sum of Five Billion Naira (N5B)? Where, when?
The office of the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor when contacted on this issue said that where did the governor see such a whooping sum of money; meaning that the information was as misleading just as it is malicious. The office of Chief Press Secretary to the Governor also cleared the air on this area, saying that as far as the governor is the father of the state, he is not in antagonism with persons like the erstwhile Managing Director of Diamond Bank, Dr. Alex Otti, a former Deputy Governor, Chief Eric Nwakanma, Chief Uzoma Abonta, Chief Emeka Wogu, Solomon Ogunji, Rev. G Nwambu, Emeka Atuma and Nze Esiaga, except these persons were thinking the contrary.
The office of the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor made the declaration against the position of the half-baked critics of the government that Governor Orji was an enemy of all in the state. The office of the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, however, has advised that those who were doing mischievous articles to control the minds of Abia people against Governor Orji and his government would not succeed. He added that programmes by the opposition in the state to cause dissociative symptoms and disorders, amnesia, depersonalization and so on in the state would not succeed. He urged Abia people not to be led astray with disinformation.
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Hart writes from Lagos
