SHOW US THE VIDEO CAMPAIGN
The newest comedy skit in Abia’s digital politics is the ritual chant: “Show us the video!” — often accompanied by a dramatic ₦5 million bounty, as though governance in the age of smartphones is conducted in secrecy. It would be hilarious if it were not so revealing.
Because here is the simple truth: Abia’s projects under Governor Alex Otti, OFR, have been among the most documented in the state’s history. From road reconstructions to school rehabilitations, power interventions to hospital upgrades, the administration has flooded every major platform — Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube, television features, newspapers — with visual evidence of planning, execution, commissioning, and impact. The digital footprint is not thin; it is overwhelming.
Take Comrade Miracle Chukwunenye, one of the most visible civic media amplifiers of the administration’s work. Since May 2023, his handles alone host 1,012,006 videos — site inspections, contractor mobilizations, before-and-after comparisons, commissioning ceremonies, stakeholder briefings. Multiply that by official government channels, commissioner briefings, ministry pages, broadcast coverage, and independent media reportage, and the archive becomes vast.
So when commentators theatrically demand, “Show us the video,” one must ask: which one? The road? The school? The health centre? The power project? The civil service reform? The answer is already online — searchable, timestamped, geolocated, and repeatedly shared.
The ₦5 million challenge, therefore, is less an inquiry than a performance. A social-media economy thrives on outrage, repetition, and selective blindness. Pretending not to see what is publicly documented is itself content. It entertains followers; it drives engagement; it monetizes skepticism. But it does not erase evidence.
Abia’s governance today operates in a glass house of documentation. Every major intervention leaves a video trail — not one clip, but many, across time and platforms. The responsible civic posture is to review, critique, compare, and debate outcomes. The unserious posture is to shout “Show us!” while scrolling past what is already shown.
So yes — by all means, continue the chant if it brings joy and algorithms. But let us be clear: the videos exist, the record is visible, and the archive of Abia’s ongoing infrastructure renewal is already in the public domain.
Show us the video?
It has been showing — all along.
AProf Chukwuemeka Ifegwu Eke
