The Imo State Government has refuted a report by the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), which it says falsely painted the state as unsafe for journalists.
In a press release, Commissioner for Information, Public Orientation and Strategy, Declan Emelumba, rejected the findings of the CJID publication and took a swipe at the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for endorsing it.
The PDP, reacting to the report, had blamed Governor Hope Uzodimma’s administration, referencing the CJID’s conclusion that Imo is the most dangerous state for journalists in Nigeria.
Emelumba said the PDP’s public approval of the CJID report revealed “crass ignorance,” describing the Centre as an unqualified body lacking the capacity to assess press freedom nationwide.
He accused the organisation of operating with poor research standards, led by a digital news publisher without the credibility or resources for proper fieldwork.
According to him, “This is a body that has shown zero capacity to execute evidence-driven assessments of media practice in the country. Little wonder they churned out a report that failed to adhere to the minimum standard of research, relying instead on hearsay and submissions from opposition elements to tarnish the image of Governor Hope Uzodimma’s administration.”
He labelled the report as “biased, jaundiced, unreliable, and absolutely misleading.”
The Commissioner said it was “undue sensationalism” to suggest that the Imo Government had created an unfriendly environment for journalists. He pointed out that the PDP jumped at the publication for political gain without verifying its claims.
In his words, “If the report met even a modicum of empirical rigour, including interviewing the journalists on the ground, it would have discovered that Imo is one of the most friendly and safest places for the practice of journalism in Nigeria.”
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He also highlighted what he called flaws in the report’s methodology, stressing that no state official was contacted during the assessment process.
“I can bet you that no one was sent to Imo State for any survey on the subject matter. They entirely relied on secondary information cooked up for them by the opposition in the state,” he said.
According to him, the CJID failed to engage key media stakeholders such as the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in the state. He argued that “If the Centre had been circumspect and impartial, it would have found out, even from the State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists. Governor Uzodinma and his officials are fully accessible and no journalist in the State has been harassed or intimidated.”
Emelumba outlined the government’s support for media organisations, including the donation of buses to the NUJ, Correspondents’ Chapel, and NAWOJ. He also mentioned the institution of an award for excellence in journalism and the appointment of journalists to senior government roles, such as the Head of Service.
He added that the administration has built structures for media engagement through local liaison officers and communication aides to ensure smooth access to public information.
Concluding his statement, the Commissioner slammed the PDP for lending weight to a report he sees as flawed and politically motivated, stating the state government no longer considers the party credible.