It is said that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. So was the case of the Imo governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha on Sunday, September 17, 2017, at the Imo government house where he banned two journalists: Amby Uneze of THISDAY and Chidi Nkwopara of Vanguard Newspapers.

According to news reports, the duo were banned from the government house for writing stories considered to be against the Okorocha-led administration in the state. He vowed to deal ruthlessly with the reporters if they dare to show face inside government house to cover any of his activities, insisting that he would take it up with their respective headquarters to ensure they are posted out of the state.

What Mr Okorocha wants to achieve by this action is yet to be understood. This is an aberration by many standards. To start with, the press in Imo have a duty to inform the citizenry about the activities of the government and other societal happenings.

If the Imo governor feels the press is under reporting his “achievements” then he needs to direct his chief press secretary or his information commissioner to expose the press to what the government is doing that they are not aware of, not by banning them from the state.

Also, the decision to ban these journalists is an aberration as its happening under a democratic dispensation. Violence against the press and gagging of press is a characteristic of the dark era of the military in Nigeria. That such is happening under a democratic government in an educationally exposed state like Imo, is a slap on the face of the Governor and a betrayal of any educational certificate he might claim to possess.

The action of the governor has subtly confirmed the allegations raised against him by an Imo journalist, Kenneth Uwadi in July 2017, who spoke of the plan by the Imo governor to arrest him for writing publications against the Imo government which lean towards non-tolerance for press freedom.

The governor by his action has shown that he is bearing some of the remnants of military dictatorial tendencies that are manifesting in our politicians across the country. The Imo state government is advised to lift the ban it placed on the two journalists as it’s an infringement on their human rights.