By Admin
Calabar-based news platform, Converseer, is facing mounting criticism over what has been described as an unbalanced and ethically flawed report on the prolonged power outage affecting parts of Ekorinim, a residential area in Calabar Municipality.
The report, published earlier this week had alleged that residents living near the private residence of Governor Bassey Otu have been without electricity for over six months due to a faulty transformer.
It further claimed that the Governor’s wife, Bishop Eyoanwan Otu, dismissed the community’s pleas with a politically insensitive remark, allegedly stating that the residents “did not vote for her husband.”
Reacting to the publication, legal practitioner and Chairman of the Cross River State Consultative Forum (CRSCF), Hon. Eyo Nsa Ekpo, described the report as “sensational and devoid of basic journalistic principles.”
In a statement issued on Friday, Ekpo faulted Converseer for failing to verify its claims or seek official responses from relevant authorities.
“The Office of the First Lady is fully staffed with a Press Secretary, a Special Assistant on New Media, and an Information Officer. Choosing not to contact any of them, while relying on anonymous street-level quotes, is a clear breach of journalistic fairness and objectivity,” Ekpo stated.
He dismissed the controversial quote attributed to the First Lady as “inconsistent with her character and record,” citing her well-known humanitarian efforts and inclusive programs such as Humanity Without Borders and the Girls in STEM initiative, which have reportedly impacted communities across the state irrespective of political or ethnic affiliation.
Ekpo also took issue with Converseer’s failure to contact the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHED), the agency responsible for electricity supply in the region.
“Instead of probing PHED’s role in the prolonged outage, Converseer chose to sensationalise the story and portray the state government as indifferent,” he added.
Defending the efforts of the Otu administration, Ekpo referenced ongoing interventions in the power sector, including the planned acquisition of the Odukpani Power Plant and the ongoing distribution of transformers by the State Electrification Agency (SEA).
While acknowledging the genuine concerns of affected residents, the former Odukpani Local Government Chairman urged the media to exercise restraint and uphold professional standards in their reportage.
“Yes, electricity supply remains a challenge in several parts of the state, but deliberate misrepresentation and the exclusion of key voices from public discourse undermine efforts to find lasting solutions,” Ekpo said.
As of the time of filing this report, Converseer had not issued a response to the criticisms.
