Gov. Otti’s Monthly Media Interactions: 5 Quick Takeaways for August
By. Dodoh Okafor .
- Know your territory, know your people: A key secret that has helped the Governor in making the kind of unprecedented impact he has made in the last one year is that he knows the State, the communities and the people. This knowledge is demonstrated during these media engagements in the way and manner the Governor responds to questions, talks about different communities and shares his development programmes around those corridors. One of the reasons a former governor of the State failed woefully was the strange assumption that Abia is just about his small village, his clan and his religious group. Thank God for rescuing us from such parochial administrators and sending us a leader who knows the challenges most communities in the State are facing, and is willing to tackle them “within the limits of available resources,” as he’d always add.
- Courage makes a leader: Why are so many leaders afraid to face the press for unscripted interview sessions? Well, you may have your view but I am of the opinion that most of these leaders do not have the courage of conviction and cannot stand being interrogated on the policies and programmes of their administration. But not Gov. Otti. He is ready to defend with his full chest everything the administration he leads has done, take responsibility and admit mistakes where things have not gone according to plans. “I will make some investigations,” “we shall talk to commissioner A,” “we shall ask Mr C so that we know what to do.” Gov. Otti is bold, and he also understands that he may not always have the right answers so is willing to learn. I wish other leaders can learn from our dear Governor.
- No question is too trival and minor questions can at times offer an insight into very important issues: I believe that some of the questions that were asked the Governor during these engagements are better directed at heads of MDAs but then, a lot of us are still learning that Government itself is a very large institution with designated roles. Everyone wants to ask the Governor a question about developments in their villages. But then our dear Governor does not mind. Calmly and assuredly, questions are taken and necessary insights provided. Good one Your Excellency.
- Humour remains a great leadership attribute: As I hinted above, several questions are better redirected or some closer scrutiny made before they are brought to the most important monthly media event in the State. So how do you diffuse the tension that often arise when one person takes the mic and begins to run a 90 minute football commentary instead of asking a direct question and making way for others? While some men with short fuse would naturally flare up in anger and make quick threats, our Governor sees things differently. A quick joke to calm things down, or a remark that indirectly tells the audience not to be agitated, that we are still together. A ga emekwenu uwa o lia?
- Abia State has a very vibrant media ecosystem: TV, Radio, Online and Print media professionals are often very well represented in the State. Kudos to members of the Fourth Estate of the Realm for being a steady presence in our democracy and for always turning up for these media engagements in large numbers. Your questions and insights are always useful and I can assure you that His Excellency appreciates these interactions and the anticipation that follows them. We must also acknowledge those listening from their homes, who ask questions through SMS and online platforms, even from Mba Russia. O wu unu nwe aka. Abia has indeed become the most vibrant democratic space in Nigeria and it is good to see the people actively following governance activities in their State from across the world. Ka Chineke gozie Abia na onye ndu anyi bu nwa ya nwoke Gov. Alex Otti.
