Port Harcourt Telegraph: Not Ogbonna Nwuke
Criticism is allowed and any person who is not criticized is doing
badly. But criticism should not be in bad light. It should not be
against someone who is in the forefront agitating for the emancipation
of justice, transparency, equity for the ‘common man’ in the society.
Criticism should not be against the man whose sermon is on peace and the
stability of Nigeria and Rivers State in particular.
I wanted to ignore an article by one hack writer on the national dailies
and in the Internet orchestrating that Chief Ogbonna Nwuke, the
Publisher Port Harcourt Telegraph was going about with the newspaper
venting vilifications on any person opposing to the Governor Chibuike
Amaechi-led government of Rivers State. But I could not ignore writing
this rejoinder on the article because of posterity. It does not behove
an elder watching children catch vulture and celebrate it to be a kite.
The hack writer does not need popularity. Writing the name would amount
to that. It came to my knowledge that a man who does not know his fellow
man could mistaken him for his mother’s friend. Before Nwuke was made
the Director of Press to the Rivers State governor, he has been
attending church before the harvest started. Nwuke should not be seen as
if it was because there is a harvest in the church that he prepared
going to the church.
As far as I know Nwuke, he is a man who loves humanity and shows same by
example. He’s a man whom the issue of the downtrodden in our society
affects the psych so much that he hardly sleep at night, where he is
mapping out methods on how to correct a lot of wrongs that have eaten
the vital part of humanity. Labeling Nwuke a traitor and a kitchen
cabinet member of Amaechi, the writer should know that God has placed
Nwuke above him or her. Was the writer aware that because of Nwuke’s
patriotism his Chokocho, Etche, Rivers State kinsmen conferred on him
with an ambassadorial award recently? Charity begins at home, they say.
If the writer does not know, Nwuke is a man of high moral etiquette and
principle. He is committed to justice and equity. Sometimes when I watch
Nwuke, he does not know what I watch him for. He has not changed his
philosophy deep rooted in good unlike most men with moral backgrounds
would change as soon as they saw their way into politics.
Last time I was with Nwuke at the Rivers State Government House, Port
Harcourt, I looked at him with curiosity and then a question ensued.“Sir, you are so good to be into politics of Nigeria because Nigerian
politicians are characterized by wickedness,” I said. But Nwuke had to
clear the air. He said, “It is now that Nigeria needs good men in
politics because I have not found good people on earth as Nigerians.”
Being the publisher of any newspaper or magazine doesn’t mean that it is
orchestrated to be a portal for witch hunting any body especially
politicians. In the media, there are the Editor-in-Chief, Daily Editor,
News editor, political editor, and all that. And Nwuke is only a
Publisher. So, if there was at all any publication in the PH Telegraph
on any person or persons the writer is crying wolf, I think it is purely
based on the ethics of journalism.
Nwuke I know does not take political issues personal. If he was into
defamation, he had the chance and capability of doing so when Amaechi
was throttling in the court of the law to claim his mandate that was
stolen by Obasanjo-led PDP, which later came to him on October 2005,
2007.
I would suggest the writer should visit Chokocho and investigate the
person of Nwuke and see how dearly his people rate him. He is not a man
who runs from the face of tyranny. It is not good to give a dog a bad
name so that it will be hanged.
By Odimegwu Onwumere
Onwumere, a poet and author,
is for Nigeria4BetterRule, Rivers State.
Email: nzeprince@mail.com
Mobile: 08032552855
Odimegwu Onwumere is a vibrant prolific author and poet, writes from
Oyigbo, Rivers , Nigeria.