Seventeen years ago, Emmanuel Unah was appointed Chief Press Secretary to the Yala Local Government Council Chairman, Barr. Fidel Egoro. After Egoro’s administration ended, Unah joined Vanguard as its correspondent in Cross River State. Not long into the job, however, he was fired for conduct allegedly detrimental to the organization’s reputation and was replaced by Ike Uche.
As HE Ben Ayade’s government was winding down, he appointed Emmanuel Unah as Acting General Manager of the State Newspaper Corporation via a WhatsApp message, reflecting his laid-back style. As GM, Unah launched a website for Nigerian Chronicle. This was the only mark he left during his short tenure before being dismissed, taking the online platform with him, claiming the corporation hadn’t paid for it.
In a role similar to Squealer from Animal Farm, Unah saw an opportunity to maneuver into another position by adopting the role of Uriah Heep—a character in Charles Dickens’ 1850 novel David Copperfield, known for his cloying humility, obsequiousness, and insincerity. As a stereotypical “yes man,” Unah leapt at the chance to court favor with the All Progressive Congress (APC) candidate, now Chairman of Yala LGA, by publishing unwarranted rebuttals against this writer’s articles.
Recognizing his intentions, this writer advised him to stop, as his aim was transparently to secure the position of CPS. He was even told not to compete with young men for the role—men young enough to be his sons. Nevertheless, he dismissed the advice with a casual wave.
Just yesterday, he was appointed as Chief Press Secretary, a role he readily accepted—out of greed. He did not even consider recommending a younger person for the position. This is the same job he held 17 years ago; stagnation is indeed unfortunate.
It’s disheartening that, out of the array of bright young media enthusiasts supporting Dr. Fred Okem, he chose someone like Emmanuel Unah—a man of limited vision and short temper—to serve as CPS. Can he truly represent and enhance the image of Okem’s administration?