The grand finale of the 2026 Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Press Week and the union’s 35th Coral Anniversary in Anambra State ended on Thursday with a dramatic public disagreement between the Chukwuma Soludo administration and an Anglican bishop over whether journalists should temper their reports in the interest of government or tell the truth without compromise.
Despite the celebrations, the exchange between the government representative and the bishop became the defining moment of the anniversary, showcasing contrasting views on the role of the press.
While the government called for diplomacy in reporting, the bishop maintained that journalism fulfills its purpose only when it is willing to confront power with the truth.
At the Anabelle Event Centre, Awka, venue for the event, Governor Soludo’s representative, the State Commissioner for Information and Value Reorientation, Dr. Law Mefor, urged journalists to adopt a more diplomatic approach to reporting and avoid becoming “irritants” to government.
Moments later, the keynote speaker, the Anglican Bishop of Amichi Diocese, Rt. Rev. Ephraim Okechukwu Ikeakor, mounted the podium and openly rejected the position, insisting that diplomacy must never replace truth in journalism.
Addressing more than 650 journalists, alongside NUJ National President Alhassan Yahya, Council Chairman Dr. Odogwu Emeka Odogwu, NAWOJ leaders, traditional rulers and other dignitaries, Mefor appealed to media practitioners to embrace responsible reporting under the anniversary theme, “NUJ Anambra, 35 Years On: Reporting with Truth, Responsibility and Service.”
The commissioner argued that journalists should be constructive in their engagement with government rather than becoming antagonistic. But Ikeakor responded bluntly.
“The Commissioner for Information says you should not say the truth as it is. I disagree,” the bishop declared to loud reactions from the audience.
He reminded journalists that they are regarded as the Fourth Estate because of their responsibility to monitor government, shape public opinion and hold leaders accountable.
According to him, asking journalists to soften uncomfortable truths amounts to asking them to abandon their constitutional role.
“Any journalist that sacrifices truth for fat brown envelope is worse than a terrorist,” he said.
“The greatest weapon of the journalist is the spine and not the pen. If you are not ready to speak the truth as it is, resign and go and be a commentator for politicians. It is better to be hated for the truth than to be loved for a lie.”
The bishop argued that misinformation should be countered with evidence rather than silence, warning that societies suffer when journalists choose to “play to the gallery.”
He also cautioned against government sponsorship of journalism as a means of influencing media independence, urging practitioners instead to strengthen their organisations through diversification, ethical standards, audience engagement and public trust.
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Earlier, Chairman of the Occasion, Dr. Churchill Okonkwo, had underscored the importance of professionalism in an era of artificial intelligence and information overload, describing journalism as a ministry built on truth, accuracy and courage.
The NUJ National President Alhassan Yahya said the anniversary theme was timely at a period when misinformation could either build or destroy public confidence, while Anambra NUJ Chairman, Dr. Odogwu Emeka Odogwu, maintained that the council’s awards were based on merit and careful research rather than financial inducement.
Veteran journalist and former Nigeria Guild of Editors vice chairman, Victor Agusiobo, also challenged journalists to move beyond the traditional five Ws and H by answering the question, “So what?” in their reports to provide clarity and purpose.
The event also featured the presentation of several honours, including the NUJ Anambra Man of the Year Award to High Chief Martin Nwabueze, while Ukpa Ewa won the Prof. Chinyere Stella Okunna Prize for Ethical Journalism, with Uche Ndeke and Ebuka Oguocha emerging as runners-up.
