The Imo State government has taken exception to the caustic language used by former presidential spokesman, Dr. Reuben Abati, on Governor Hope Uzodimma during a TV programme.
The government said it was unethical for Abati to have described a personal comment by the governor as asinine without interrogating the merits of the submission.
In a statement in Owerri, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Hon Declan Emelumba demanded an unreserved apology from Abati for his unwarranted verbal attack on the governor.
Emelumba said Abati abused his privilege and broadcasting code by raining abusive words on Governor Uzodimma and ridiculing Imo people as well, while on air.
According to him, no matter the level of resentment or disagreement with the governor’s comment, Abati should not have resorted to the use of “uncouth and motor park” language while on air.
The Commissioner noted that there was nothing offensive in the suggestion by Uzodimma that INEC ought to be in possession of the certificates of candidates who had run for office before, if it had a good data storage system.
Besides, the governor also made it clear that there was still time to submit whatever is required to INEC.
The Governor’s exact words: “Where record keeping is efficient and the INEC Server functional, he (Tinubu) does not need to do fresh submission. However, if what he is supposed to submit is not handy, it is not late yet. I’m sure before that time, he will submit whatever is required of him.”
“In other climes, such a sensitive organization like INEC ought to have the database of former elected public office holders,” the Commissioner said.
He regretted that many commentators have been blinded by outright bias, clannish interests and livid hatred to the extent that they no longer address the issues but resort to attacking the persons who express divergent opinions.
The Commissioner demanded an apology from Abati “for insulting a Governor who merely expressed his opinion and also for ridiculing Imo people by extending a worthless and unsolicited pity to them which was a direct insult on the dignity of the good people of the State.
“If there’s anyone who deserves pity it must be Abati who, unmindful of the ethics of his trade, is mindlessly abusing his privilege by using the opportunity of a broadcasting platform to insult people at will,” Emelumba added.
