Hon Ginger Onwusibe commends OMPAN for transparent election; says it’s the reason members are supporting the chairman.

Stephanie Clems

Member representing Isiala Ngwa North/South House of Representatives representing Isiala Ngwa/ South federal constituency has congratulated the newly elected chairman of online media practitioners Association of Nigeria OMPAN, Umuahia over his victory at the polls.

The legislator stated this in his country home when a select members of the association paid him a courtesy visit in his country home in Ntigha.

He attributed the peace and support in the association to the transparent election.

“That is why you still have peace in the organization, there’s nothing as better than transparency. The majority will always have their way and the minority will always have their say. If that election was rigged, you couldn’t have conveyed this number of people to this place today within the short notice.”

He further encouraged members of Abia of the Online Media Practitioners Association of Nigeria,(OMPAN) in the state to continue in their factual news reportage in order to put the government and political office holders on their toes.

The legislator also warned against praise singing the government even when he hasn’t done well in order to avoid possible derailment from purpose.

Hon Ginger also encouraged OMPAN to maintain the culture of reporting events verbatim without fear or favour while playing the role of the watchdog of the society.

He urged OMPAN to call the attention of the government to critical issues for proper guidance and pointed out that governor Alex Otti is working with imperfect people who may want to satisfy their selfish gain but believes that Governor Otti wants the best for Abian people.

“Encourage the governor by letting him know the things he is doing that are not right, don’t play the role of praise singers , because you people are fact finders. He may not know everything, he may not be doing everything completely right.”

Hon Onwusibe lauded OMPAN for its efforts in putting the government and political officers on their toes through their activities and news reports. “Each time you report what is happening in the state, we know the truth, when we are doing well, we know, when we are not doing well we also know.” Hon Ginger said.

He called on Abia citizens to support the governor who he applauded his leadership style and disclosed his plan to collaborate with for a better state

.”Today I’m in the National Assembly, Dr Alex Otti is the governor, politics and politicking has ended, what we are focused on now is governance. It is now our duty to ensure that our people, not PDP people, not Labour Party People, not APC people but the entire Abia people to benefit from this liberation or transformation. The point is that there must be a change from the status quo to a positive direction.”

The Abia state, Chief Promise Uzoma Okoro thanked the honorable member for his observation and hinted that as journalists and bloggers they are not a stooge for any politicians or any political office holder or the government. “Let me reiterate my message in recent times, OMPAN members are not stooge of Government or politicians in power nor attack dogs of opposition politicians, we strongly believe in the journalism principle of neutrality and that is why we are fostering this relationship across board.”

The Abia OMPAN chairman also solicited for a better working relationship with Hon Ginger in projecting his programs for the people of his constituency in order to promote and contribute to good governance in his constituency and the state in general .

He also reminded the legislator about the killing of one of his constituents, late Mr Richard Onumegbu, a civilian staff of the Federal Ministry of Defence, Nigerian Navy Base, Ojo, Lagos State beaten to death recently.

Hon Onwusibe said he has moved a motion for it and the House of Representative will soon be on the matter in the Committee of the whole.