By Kelvin Mgbeojiekwe
In recent weeks, one of the radio stations in Owerri, Imo State capital, owned and operated by a former Senator from Owerri zone, Sen. Chris Anyanwu has been promoting hate speeches, selling fake and unverifiable narratives against the government of His Excellency, Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodinma, Onwa, with a view to inciting Imolites against the governor and his government come 2027 guber election.
The station owner uses the sports program on her station which she allocated two stretch hours, splitting between morning and evening daily, with a certain Solomon Onu, as her attack dog/presenter.
Funny enough, and incidentally, the said Solomon Onu who is the Media Officer of Heartland FC of Owerri, and earns salaries approved by the government, also acts as a spy on the 3R government of Sen. Hope Uzodinma, and involves in shady deals with Imo athletes.
As a member of the Heartland FC's management team, Onu uses his involvement in the club to sale out to the public and opponent clubs, most loopholes in the Owerri FC and the state's sports sector in the name of journalism; a situation that has affected the Club's performances in recent months.
Through his program, Hot FM Sports on radio, Solomon Onu presents to his listeners imaginary anomalies around the Imo sporting community, the ministry of sports, and the role of Governor Hope Uzodinma which he has often described as "criminal" and "negligence".
For example, some members of the former Management team of the Heartland FC of Owerri had sometime early last year, petitioned the Ministry of Sports in Imo state, exposing evidences of defamatory speeches made on air and elsewhere by this same Solomon Onu against His Excellency, Gov. Hope Uzodinma and the government of Imo State.
Asked their punitive actions taken against Solomon Onu, the management hinted that his salary payment was suspended by the then management team led by Mr. Promise Nwachukwu.
It took persistent appeals and apologies with undertaking to be of good behaviors for Onu to be subsequently reconsidered and his salary payments restored.
That management team was later ended under the leadership of the current commissioner for Sports, Mr. Obinna Onyeocha, and Onu was sent back to Hot FM.
Now upon his appointment as the Technical Manager of the Heartland FC, and following lies, gossips and propaganda sold him by likes of Solomon Onu, Coach Emmanuel Amunike, mfr, was deceived into reappointing Solomon Onu into his Management Team as the Media Officer; a position that requires him to promote the image of his team and the provider of his daily meals.
But feeling head high, indispensable and important, Solomon would return to the radio station of his first pay mistress and be reeling out lies and fake stories to the public, all with intent to discredit the government of Gov. Hope Uzodinma.
This, he has been successfully doing on daily bases, ranting and inciting his listeners with lies nowhere closer to reality.
For instance, in his morning broadcast of Thursday, 8th of April, 2025, Solomon alleged that the government of Sen. Hope Uzodinma, through the Ministry of Sports had raised proposal of about N300m waiting to be siphoned, while athletes preparing for the National Sports Festival were yet to go into camp.
Solomon who does not know the workings of government in Imo, especially with the security challenges which had adversely affected government operations in the state has made himself the propaganda machine and spokesman of desperate opposition politicians, working day and night to discredit the 3R administration of Sen. Hope Uzodinma.
His Excellency, Gov. Hope Uzodinma has personally received the Torch for the National Sports Festival, and assured our athletes of their attendance to the festival.
The ministry of Sports through the Commissioner of Sports, Hon. Obinna Onyeocha is following up on ensuring that the governor, who of cause has other pressing issues in the state on his head, gives a final nod to the participation of the state to the festival. Neither the Ministry of Sports nor the Commissioner has the final say over the movement of any Imo athlete to camp or to the festival, and whenever this approval comes, the needful shall be done.
This, therefore, is coming as a caution, as well as an advise, to the likes of Solomon Onu, to remain professional and unbiased wherever and whenever journalism is involved, as Possession of mouth, access to radio station and rabble-rousing do not actually define a good OAP.
Going forward, we the Concerned Imo sporting community in the pen profession shall no longer sit by, and watch criminals and opposition agents parading as journalists using the profession to incite Imolites against the government.
Sen. Chris Anyanwu, Hot FM, Emmanuel Amunike, Heartland FC, SWAN Imo State, DSS should please note.
Kelvin Mgbeoejiekwe writes from Umutanze in Orlu LGA
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