CALABAR –Legal practitioner and Chair of the Cross River State Consultative Forum (CRSCF), Hon. Eyo Nsa Ekpo, Esq., has faulted a recent report by Calabar-based news website, Converseer, over what he described as “clear ethical gaps and lack of journalistic balance” in its coverage of a power outage affecting residents of Ekorinim, Calabar NEGROIDHAVEN has garnered.
The controversial report, published by Converseer, alleged that residents living near Governor Bassey Otu’s residence have been in darkness for six months due to a faulty transformer, and further accused the Governor’s wife, Bishop Eyoanwan Otu, of making a politically insensitive remark in response to their appeals for help.
Reacting in a press statement cited by our correspondent on Friday, Ekpo criticised the news platform for not verifying the claims or seeking a response from the First Lady’s office.
“The Office of the First Lady is fully staffed with a Press Secretary, Special Assistant on New Media and an Information Officer. Choosing not to contact them while relying on unverified street-level quotes is a clear violation of the principles of fairness and balance—cornerstones of credible journalism,” Ekpo said.
He described the quote attributed to the First Lady—that the community “didn’t vote for her husband”—as not only disturbing but “inconsistent with her track record of compassion and inclusiveness.”
“Her Excellency’s initiatives like Humanity Without Borders and the Girls in STEM Project have impacted Cross Riverians and non-indigenes alike, irrespective of political affiliation. To suggest otherwise, and without any attempt at verification or evidence, is not only misleading but grossly unfair,” he added.
Ekpo also took issue with Converseer’s failure to obtain an official response from the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHED), which is responsible for power supply in the state.
“Why was no effort made to get a formal response from PHED? Rather than probe PHED’s role, Converseer chose to sensationalise the story and frame the state government as indifferent,” he queried.
The former Odukpani local government boss also defended Governor Otu’s ongoing efforts to tackle the state’s broader electricity challenges, referencing recent remarks by the Governor on plans to acquire the Odukpani Power Plant and ongoing transformer distribution through the State Electrification Agency (SEA).
He concluded by urging the media to uphold ethical standards in their reportage and called on residents of Ekorinim to continue engaging constructively with relevant authorities.
“Yes, electricity issues in our state are real. But to distort facts, ignore key sources, and malign individuals without proof does no service to journalism or public discourse,” Ekpo warned.
