BY RAYMOND OZOJI, Awka

Chairman of the Anambra State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Dr. Odogwu Emeka Odogwu, has described the governor of the state, Charles Chukwuma Soludo as an enemy of journalists in the state.

Odogwu who made the statement while taking questions from select journalists on the state of the state in Awka, remonstrated that Governor Soludo has not extended a hand of friendship to members of the 4th Estate since he became governor.

He said Soludo hates journalists with passion and has demonstrated that animosity with the destruction and scrapping of the State-owned newspaper called National Light Newspaper, rendering their workers jobless and useless.

According to Odogwu, the governor is not perturbed about the plight of journalists and that his body language has shown that anything concerning journalists irritates him, adding that in states like Delta, Edo, Kano, Jos and some others, journalists are treated with respect and due recognition.

He said while other state governments see welfare of journalists as top priority, Anambra State Government, according to him, treat journalists’ welfare with levity and complacency.

He said Soludo has not been of any help to journalists in the state and that his press corps team are not spared of the unfair treatments. Odogwu maintained that the governor prefers to deal with his makeshift Soludo TV but oblivious of the fact that mainstream media can not be suppressed or silenced.

And that in other states of the federation, NUJ enjoyed subventions and the unions have their secretariats built and secured by the government.

Another salient issue he raised was that in other states, journalists are appointed into positions of authority and the Council assisted greatly but the reverse is the case in Anambra state.

Odogwu said even when the Council applied for training of her members, government threw the application inside the gutter.

Responding to Odogwu’s claims, Press Secretary to Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, Mr. Christian Aburime said it was not true that Soludo is an enemy of journalists in Anambra State.

Aburime argued that how can a governor who doled out rice palliatives to journalists last Christmas be described as an enemy ? He said Soludo was just two years old in office and transforming the state with a rapid developmental pace in all ramifications.

Aburime noted that the governor is taking it one step at a time as seen in his declaration of free education, free antenatal and child delivery services in all government hospitals, construction of over 400 kilometers of roads, winning the war against Insecurity, urban regeneration, etc.

He mentioned the employment of 5000 teachers, empowerment of 5000 youths of One Youth Two Skills with grants, employment of doctors and nurses to enable Anambra hospitals function again, to mention just a few of Governor Soludo’s milestone achievements in just two years.

The governor’s Press Secretary however advised the leadership of the NUJ in Anambra to be patient as Soludo will respond to their needs in due course.

He said that Odogwu’s claims that Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo is an enemy of journalists and insensitive to their needs is cheap blackmail intended to create undue emotions as well as rubbish the giant developmental strides of the governor within a short period of time.