Since his assumption of office on May 29, 2023, the Governor of Delta State has failed to hold a single press briefing or create a formal avenue where journalists can ask questions and engage with the administration. This glaring absence of press interaction is not just troubling — it is dangerous for democratic governance.
A government that shuns media engagement inevitably shuts its doors to transparency. In the past year, the Governor has operated in a communication vacuum, leaving the people of Delta State uninformed about critical decisions, policies, and expenditures. Without regular press briefings or media chats, journalists are left to rely on second-hand information, vague statements, or social media snippets, many of which lack depth, clarity, or accuracy.
This form of governance, which excludes the press, contradicts the principles of democracy and accountability. In a democracy, the media is not a mere observer; it is a vital watchdog, a bridge between the government and the governed. When elected leaders refuse to engage the press, they suppress public scrutiny, weaken civic participation, and invite misinformation to flourish.
The Consequences of Silencing the Press
The implications of this media blackout are far-reaching. It fosters an environment where propaganda thrives, misinformation spreads, and rumours fill the vacuum of reliable information. It denies citizens the right to know what their leaders are doing and prevents journalists from doing their job — holding power to account.
Even more worrying is the trend at the local government level and within various ministries, where local government chairmen, commissioners, and political appointees have sidelined professional media personnel in favour of personal loyalists. These loyalists, lacking training and experience in public communication, have turned official platforms into echo chambers of praise-singing and misinformation.
Professionalism in public information management is not a luxury — it is a necessity. Media work is not about blind loyalty; it is about factual reporting, strategic messaging, and credible engagement. When media roles are handed to cronies with no expertise, governance suffers, and public trust erodes. The result is a chaotic information space where lies gain traction and the truth becomes scarce.
A Call for Change
Governance must be people-centered. And in any functional democracy, the people must be informed. It is time for the Delta State Governor to break his silence and engage the press meaningfully. Regular press briefings, town halls, and open Q&A sessions are not optional — they are the bedrock of democratic transparency.
Furthermore, commissioners, chairmen, and aides must return to professionalism in their communication units. Qualified media professionals should be employed based on merit and capacity, not on political loyalty. It is only through trained, ethical communicators that accurate and timely information can flow to the public.
The media in Delta State has a constitutional responsibility to hold the government accountable. We will not be cowed into silence. We will continue to ask questions, publish the truth, and represent the voice of the people. The government must stop seeing the press as an enemy and start embracing it as a partner in progress.
The longer the Governor maintains his silence, the more suspicion he invites. Leadership demands openness, not opacity. The people of Delta State deserve to know. They deserve a government that speaks with them, not at them — and certainly not one that hides behind walls of silence.
It is time for a change. Let the Governor speak. Let the press be free. Let democracy thrive.
