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Tony Udemba
Abia State journalists, under the aegis of Abia Media Forum (AMF), said they will hold the state government accountable to the people, and its actions.
The forum, comprising top journalists of Abia origin in Abuja and Lagos State, stated this last Saturday during its inauguration.
The group’s coordinator, Ben Okezie, noted that the forum, among other things plays roles that will ensure that the state is alive to its responsibilities to the people, as well as, its actions.
“The time has come when Abia journalists will no more take just a cursory glance at what goes on our state.
“Abia is our collective state; its success is our success; its failure is our failure. Anyone who is a success, while his community or state is a failure must be bestial. We shall be paying serious attention to how the state is governed,” Okezie emphasised.
He further pledged that AMF members will leverage contacts, clouts and positions to help people at home.
Though Abia is yet to record any index case, the forum frowns at the level of preparedness of the state for the COVID-19 pandemic.
Following the report that Abia has only one isolation centre at Amachara General Hospital, of which the details about the facilities were still sketchy, the Abia journalists stressed that, “considering the size of the state, one isolation centre is inadequate, two other centres, one in Abia North, and the other in Abia South, against the background that three neighbouring states of Akwa Ibom, Rivers and Anambra have coronavirus cases.” The group called on the Abia State governor to take a look at the quality of the preparations made by other governors in the region, in the fight against COVID-19, and replicate same in Abia State.
While applauding the state government for distributing foodstuff to the vulnerable and indigent people in the state through churches, traditional rulers and town unions, the forum urged the governor to do more in order to protect the citizens.
