Reading a piece from one Afam Echi entitled "Day Buhari redefined integrity in Imo," I looked forward to reading a piece filled with objectivity and facts in keeping to his training as a journalist but I was utterly disappointed. His piece was not only laughable but lacking in substance.

Of all the issues worth discussing, Echi decided to drag us back to an already foreclosed issue - Buhari's visit to Imo State. Obviously he either ran out of what to discuss, or most likely, he was commissioned by the enemies of the state government to say ill of Governor Hope Uzodinma. If not, why would he leave a trending issue of artificial fuel scarcity which Governor Hope Uzodinma resolved few days ago, or the statement from the Government that Imo people who earn less than N70,000 should cease paying tax. These wonderful decisions are the topics of the day. But, people like Afam Echi, who are on a mission to needlessly criticise the state government, will not reason to give credit to the Governor, even when they are glaring.

Echi was particularly worried about Mr. Persident's description of Governor Uzodimma as a man of integrity. He frowned at that yet succeeded in failing to tell his reading audience why he felt the President was wrong. He clearly had a difficult time trying to coin English words just to write something, even if it was not making any sense to him.

Echi assumed the position of a mind reader by arguing that the President meant the reverse. To clearly understand Echi's illogic, he implied that a President would leave his base in Abuja and abandoned other engagements of his to come to Owerri only to say things that he didn't mean? Is Governor Uzodimma's close relation with the president a secret?

As a journalist, Echi should have known that he owes the public the truth always and there is no basis whatsoever to misinform his readers.

Alluding to Governor Uzodimma's invitation to the EFCC years ago as meaning that the Governor is lacking in integrity is hogwash. It makes mockery of Echi as a journalist who should have known that one is innocent until proven guilty by the courts. No court, bar the one set up in the imagination of Echi, has pronounced Governor Uzodimma guilty of any financial crime. And by the way, what has Echi to say about leaders from the opposition parties who have been convicted of crimes, or those who still keep date with the court, the EFCC and the police?

Echi and his likes should understand that the development and interest of Imo supersedes any other parochial and partisan interest. Mr. President is not known for visiting states for fun. He rarely does that as he has visited only 6 states since his reelection. Now that Governor Uzodimma has leveraged his closeness with the President to convince him on the need to visit and interact with leaders of Ndigbo, Echi should keep his bitterness aside for a moment and allow the Igbo interest to prevail.

It is disturbing when a journalist involves himself in mischief and infantile argument. Journalism is about accurate information, objectivity backed with verifiable facts and figure. One could elect to write for a group of politicians who obviously want to discredit the government but doing that at the detriment of the core values of journalism is worrisome and speaks lowly of the writer.