Mr. Oguwuike Nwachuku is the Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser to Governor Hope Uzodinma. I know little about him. There is this gist that he was a staff of one of the national dailies in Lagos State before he landed his new job.
Nwachuku is not among Imo State based journalists. He was neither one of the home based newspaper publishers, nor ran an online medium in the State. He was never a member of the State Correspondents chapel, the State chapter of the NUJ, or even part of the “konjas” and “Talibans” in Imo journalism, before his new appointment.
Governor Uzodinma imported Nwachuku as his Chief Press Secretary, a position his predecessors had preferred home based/ home grown journalists or media practitioners.They did so because they understood that the job of a CPS to Governor is intriguing and complex. It is a position that needs one with calmness of mind, well versed in public/media/human relations and who understands the media turf in the State.
The media in Imo is like a two edged sword. They can make or mar because they weild so much influence in the State. They shape, dictate and moderate public perceptions and opinions of the people for or against any government.
Some past Governors of the State understood this fact about the home based media and this informed their selection of home grown journalists as their CPS.
From Mr. Henry Ekpe who served Governor Ikedi Ohakim as CPS, to Sam Onwuemedo, who served in the same capacity to Governor Rochas Okorocha, they all understood the local dynamics involved in aligning the vision of their bosses with the home based media.
They also understood the local politics involved in dealing with the media in the State.
Former Governor Emeka Ihedioha nurtured a pure home boy, Mr.Chibuike Onyeukwu, for the position and Ihedioha reaped the benefits when he was Governor as the media in the State gave his administration enormous support, but never shirked in criticising it when the need arose.
For Mr. Oguwuike, Governor Uzodinma’s CPS, he is in limbo, at loss at the nature of his job as CPS to Governor of Imo State. He does not understand the jiri giri pokri involved in packaging a Governor of Imo State, not Governor of Abia, Lagos or Oyo States. The guy is just too uptight and more of a recluse, who sees his job as CPS to Governor Uzodinma as cock the gun and shoot the bullet even without aiming at a target.
He does not have a comprehensive understanding of his job, which is to manage the media in the State, a State with over 30 local newspapers, few credible online newspaper outfits with a booming online community and over 25 radio stations, for the benefit of his boss.
Since this CPS assumed office, he has continued to fumble and wobble.He fires out of range. Mr. Nwachuku has continued to stagger on the job. He hardly picks his phone calls or even returns them. Text Messages seeking clarification on one issue or the other concerning his boss, the Governor, are never replied. And because he caged himself like a dog begging to be freed, he reacts so fiercly to even “small issues” against his boss.
Twice, he has misfired. He had described publishers of Owerri based newspapers as rag tag, online media practitioners as social media urchins. He did not stop there. His combative disposition which exposes his temperament lead him to attack the opposition, by issuing unnecessary, unwarranted warnings and threats to the Director General, Imo PDP New Media, Ambrose Nwaogwugwu.
That act by Mr. Nwachuku was a big blunder, a mistake too grave and capable of igniting renewed opposition against the government of the day. The CPS succeeded to give teeth to the activities of the Imo PDP New Media team, to further bite his boss and his government. He merely reduced the exalted office of the Governor of Imo State to rubbles by joining issues with a mere social media arrow Head of the opposition.
His action are indications that the government is either jittery of what the New Media team of the opposition reels out against the Governor or this government is intolerant and unreceptive to opposing views.
This shows that the CPS, is completely lost on vital and certain aspects, in handling the image of the Governor. If he truly knows his onion, he should know that gone are the days opinions at variance with that of government are not tolerated.
Nwachuku is too reactionary, combative and oblivious of the fact, that he is heaping charcoals of fire on his head and for his boss, Governor Uzodinma, with his frequent unnecessary fireworks on issues he perceives not palatable to the Governor.
He has proved to lack the composure of an image maker of a Governor, and has equally shown signs that he has no charisma and charm to market his boss.In other words, he is de- marketing the Governor.
Nwachuku has shown clearly that he is on wild goose chase if he thinks he can play God by boxing journalists and Media practitioners in the State with threats and uncomplimentary remarks.
He should note that the home based media in the State, are already losing patience with him and if he continues to fire irritant salvos at them, he should be ready for fireworks that will certainly not be palatable to the government.
Governor Hope Uzodinma is oblivious of the fact that he is putting himself and his administration on the firing range of the media in the State, judging from the actions of his CPS, who is bereft of public/human relations skills in managing and handling journalists in the State.
The “Adolph Hitler” approach of the CPS is regrettable, and Uzodinma’s seeming acquiesce to Mr.Nwachuku’s actions, is evident in his reluctance to even interact or engage media practioners in the State since he was pronounced Governor three months ago by the Supreme Court.
Governor Uzodinma should be told that his administration will stagger or continue to flip flop, if his Chief Press Secretary who wears the garment of a Roman War fighter, continues to ambush journalists and social media influencers with threats rather than constructive engagement.
The CPS actions are already giving credence to insinuations that since his boss was enthroned as Governor of Imo State by the Supreme Court and not through the ballot, he can afford to hand out threats to those who never voted for him in the first place.
Mr. Nwachuku should turn a new leaf.
*** Ralph Onyeneucheya writes from Owerri, Imo State.
