Members of Abia Online Media Publishers Organization, on Monday, presented a leadership award to Governor Okezie Ikpeazu as the most media friendly Governor of all time in the country.

Speaking during the award ceremony held at Okpara Auditorium, Umuahia, the Chairman of the Organization, Mr Ugochukwu Nwankwo, expressed appreciation to the Governor for opening the media space in the state for all practitioners to ply their trade without fear of harassment and intimidation. He stated that under the watch of Governor Ikpeazu their members and other journalists in the state have enjoyed unprecedented freedom.

Responding, Governor Ikpeazu expressed appreciation to the members of the organization who voluntarily selected him for the award, without any form of lobby and assured that his administration will continue to welcomes constructive criticism, especially when it comes with suggestion on how things can be done better.

“I am morally and constitutionally committed to freedom of the press and will not be part of any scheme to muzzle the press. All I will ask of you is to ensure that that while you take photographs and report on the things we are yet to do also remember to post the pictures side by side with the ones we have done. I am aware that we have not solved all our challenges of statehood but nobody can deny the fact that we have done a lot to improve the lives of our people. So I want to enlist you as partners in progress, knowing that we are equal stakeholders in the drive to rapidly take our state to where we should be”, he said.