IMO State Ranks Worst Journalists Hostility State in Nigeria
REPORT RANKING IMO AS NIGERIA’S MOST DANGEROUS STATE FOR JOURNALISTS: A DISTURBING REALITY”
A damning new report by the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) has officially ranked Imo State as the worst place in Nigeria for journalists to operate, confirming long-held fears about the perilous environment for press freedom in the state.
The CJID’s Openness Index Report, unveiled in Abuja last Thursday by Professor Victor Ayedun-Aluma of the University of Jos, placed Imo State last on the log – 37th out of 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) – with an abysmal score of 40.70%. This score highlights the severe challenges journalists face in carrying out their constitutional duties, far below even Bauchi (35th, 42.69%) and Lagos (22nd, 48.93%).
The ranking did not come as a surprise; it’s a grim validation of what Imo has become.
Imo has become synonymous with hostility, insecurity, and danger for journalists and media professionals. This report paints a disturbing picture of tyranny and despotism silencing the press.
The CJID ranking specifically assesses states on their performance in upholding press freedom. Imo’s last-place finish underscores a systematic failure:
* SYSTEMATIC INTIMIDATION:
Journalists face orchestrated hazards and hardships, making their work an “uphill task.”
* DELIBERATE DIVISION:
The report correlates the state’s abysmal ranking with the deliberate factionalization of media bodies, including the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), the Correspondents’ Chapel, and NAWOJ, allegedly instigated by the government’s spokesperson and Commissioner for Information, Hon. Mbadiwe Emelumba.
* GOVERNMENT OVERREACH:
Attempts to handpick union leadership and impose Correspondents’ Chapel heads point to a desperate desire to control and bridle the press.
* TARGETED PERSECUTION:
Specific accusations detail Emelumba’s alleged tactics: instigating strife among journalists, blocking media access to the Governor, and even attempting to use police intimidation against journalists refusing to comply with unethical roles. His alleged support for those who attempted the illegal sale of the multi-million Naira NUJ secretariat further demonstrates this pattern.
Whatever be the case, hostility to journalists is hostility to truth, justice, and the fundamental rights of all Imo residents. It is an assault on our shared humanity and public sensibility.
Commissioner Emelumba’s actions, as detailed, are central to creating this environment of mistrust, fear and repression.
In the main, the CJID report serves as an international indictment of press freedom conditions in Imo State. It vindicates the persistent warnings from the Imo NUJ and vocal citizens who have faced intimidation.
This report further indicates that truth cannot be hidden and should serve as a call-out to all defenders of democracy: Imo State must end its war on journalism. We demand immediate, concrete steps from the state government to reverse this dangerous trend, guarantee journalist safety, uphold press freedom, and hold those responsible for this repression accountable.
