If you are a Nigerian, and literate, but have never heard of Sahara Reporters or been to its website, something must be seriously wrong. I suggest you rectify that situation today.
SaharaReporters.com is the place to visit if you really want to understand where Nigeria has been, or what it is doing. It is journalism that may be too important to be left to journalists. It is, I suspect, the address that corrupt Nigerian politicians and their privileged criminal brethren detest the most on earth. SaharaReporters is the face of Citizen Journalism.
As a journalist, I believe that the industry thrives on the assumption that it will report society thoroughly and painstakingly. That is not always-or often-the case. Sometimes, journalism is about convenience: speeches and development about which the headlines are bigger than the substance, press conferences or statements.
In other words, not much. After all, while speeches on the floor of the legislature or at a conference may be very important and ought to be reported, publishing their highlights is not really reporting. Speeches often say nothing about the speaker, whose very actions may actually be in contradiction with his public claims.
That is why the most important challenge in journalism is to go beyond and behind the spoken or public word. That is the province of investigative or forensic journalism, because true reporting is about action. In Nigeria, this often poses tremendous difficulty for the mainstream press which may opt for a comfortable compromise.
A comfortable compromise is reporting a murder as committed by someone other than you. However, while it takes courage to report a murder or a theft; the paradox is that the more "important" the murderer or the thief, the more courage it takes to put that story on the front page.
But remember what Aesop once said: "We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office." The man was Greek, but he must have been speaking about Nigeria. While our great thieves have brought the nation to its knees, they are not necessarily in hiding or in jail. The trouble is that when you read the mainstream press, you may not get that impression.
What SaharaReporters has done is to take this task on, and to empower the ordinary Nigerian to report his country. Indeed, the motto of SaharaReporters is: "Report Yourself".
It has provided an opportunity for Nigerian citizens with access to valuable information about Nigeria's leaders and their lifestyle to make a contribution to our understanding of those leaders that the mainstream press and their ownership may be uncomfortable with. In my view, then, SaharaReporters is Nigeria telling the truth to Nigeria. It is journalism by the people for the people.
How has this happened? In the past two decades, some amazing technologies have appeared that are capable of making journalism more cogent, urgent and powerful. These are tools that aid and ease investigation as well as rapid transmission, tools of effective and widespread broadcast or circulation, tools that make it possible for journalism to be more, and do more.
Of these tools has SaharaReporters taken advantage to give journalism in our country a boost, and challenge the mainstream press. With particular focus on corruption, SaharaReporters often sheds some incredible light on the track record of powerful Nigerians that most of us only whisper about in our bedrooms.
A quick search of the website reveals an assortment of such powerful Nigerians, what they have stolen, who their accomplices are, and where the bodies and booty are buried. There is published proof of fake higher degrees and titles being peddled by top Nigerians. There are stories of scam and vice by Nigerians in high office.
I do not know how SaharaReporters operates. But for an outfit that reportedly has such a small staff, it does seem to have the help of Nigerians who keep it persistently supplied with information and materiel.
I know that SaharaReporters has been called names. It is difficult to imagine any of those people about whom it has published unflattering accounts being happy. Strangely though, hardly anyone writes rebuttals to its stories, let alone sues them for inaccurate portrayals. What invariably seems to happen is the old Nigerian ploy of trying to ignore a story in the hope that it will blow over.
Not likely. Through the efforts of SaharaReporters, the nature of the Olusegun Obasanjo administration was made even plainer to the world. SaharaReporters is also monitoring the Umaru Yar'Adua government with an equally critical reporting and analytic eye.
The strength of SaharaReporters is obviously its high principles. Its advocacy is in its unwavering sense of right and wrong, not on the basis of any friends or permanent enemies. In the chaos that is Nigeria, an advocate is often bought off. That is not usually a difficult task, given the vast riches in the hands of many big thieves, and the false advocate soon disappears in his new riches.
SaharaReporters, on the contrary, has stuck to its mission of reporting with determination and courage, particularly in terrain that others avoid. Hopefully, the mainstream media will take advantage of the doors that the website often opens-including breaking stories--rather than dismissing them or considering the site a competitor.
In any case, an enterprise of this nature is never without cost, as patriotism does not pay the bills. Without a committed support base, SaharaReporters is certain to run into problems. Appealing for assistance, in this regard, a link on the site says:
"...We want to remain true to our dream of providing average readers with the tools that can help them make informed decisions about how their nations are run in the Sub-saharan African region..." it says, pledging to "remain the authentic, independent, and investigative citizen reporters who unearth what has remained hidden from the public eye..."
Hopefully, Nigerians who appreciate the patriotic work of SaharaReporters and recognize what is at stake will offer practical support. The future cannot be without cost. Report for duty. Report yourself.
sonala.olumhense@gmail.com
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folusoji
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... The SaharaTV is not what is needed at this time. We need Law firms who will be interested in taking up cases against the looters. The first thing to do is to develop DataBase and pull from public domain the information about Nigerian looters. It is much easier for us to collect data on all the so called Nigerian Officials who have real estates in United States or other countries. Find out the values, date of purchase, how payment made and etc. We can then challenge owners in court how they get their moneies, how much taxes they paid in Nigeria, how they transfer such money to the United States or other countries. Some of them even violated United States laws for owning such Real Estates in dubious means. We will be also interested to know their protogies. We can use the same database to register voters here in US or help out replicate the databasse in Nigeria to do other things. |
OloyeBabaAlaye
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... I am whole heartedly in support. We have enough committed Nigerian who should be willing to donate. SR TV on BskyB would make my day. the revolution will be televised (maybe on SR TV) |
OloyeBabaAlaye
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... I am whole heartedly in support. We have enough committed Nigerian who should be willing to donate. SR TV on BskyB would make my day. the revolution will be televised (maybe on SR TV) |
Oluwayomi 2008
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... ARE YOU GOING TO NAME YOUR CHILD "GOODLUCK" NIGERIANS are quick to jump on the band wagon, do not say I told you,many Nigerians are going to change their names to "Goodluck" soon,some new born are going to be given the name too. The president would soon have a very large family. Written by Lere Oluwayomi |
Adewale Abiodun
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... Please keep us informed on how we can help, if its financially, create a secure payment processor and lets have our dollars rolling... Sahara is one of the change we need to change this nation and like our baby, we must watch it grow and remain consistent with its kind of information,exposure and empowerment! More power to your elbows and keep up the good work Adewale Abiodun |
Adewale Abiodun
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... I support this mission, but how do we intend to run this station? would it also be based in the newyork considering the fact that the kind of govt we have would shut it down before it is launched? and would it be a 24hours news station? This may require huge investment! Can we have a WAP version of Saharareporters? Can we also have an SMS version that allows people to pay to subscribe for news updates on sahara? and lastly can we also have an email version that allows people to pay to subscribe and read reports from their inbox? We need to cut out the limitation, and penetrate more so that the man in my village can also have access to this information? and so that people would have access to this stories irregardless of where they are...its one of the ways we could create the kind of awareness that would change this country for good. |
ade lawrence
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... Dear Friend , Keep this a secret so you can get more of it . As Pope John Paul II was dying; he sent for James Ibori and Peter Odili to come to the Vatican. When they arrived, they were ushered to his bedroom. As they entered , the clergyman held out his hands and motioned them to sit on each side of the bed. The Pope grasped their hands, sighed contentedly, > smiled and stared at the ceiling. > For a time, no one said anything. Both Ibori and Odili were touched and flattered that the old Pope would ask them to be with him during his final moment. They were also puzzled because the Pope never gave any indication that he liked either one of them.. > Finally, Ibori asked, "Fader,wdt for did you husk de two of huss 2 com 'ere?" The old Pope mustered up some strength & said weakly, "Jesus died between two thieves,I will like to die like him" |
'Ladi Olu
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... As a media engineer, I have all the "tools" to be part of this Movement! so lets get started!!! |
MADRID
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... i will give 2000euros for sh(tv) i live in spain, any time you start let me know.we need this on air |
Rotkan
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... I would love to love you guys but since you don,t publish any of my comments, it,s hard for me...you get |
isikan ukankan
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... Contrymen !I know we have problems,but can we spare a thought for HAITI,of evey 7 black people alive ,one is a Nigerian,please see the tragedy on T.V,its so heart rending.These guys are just like you and I.Please lets do something since our shameless LOOTERS in ABUJA don't care lets send something even if its 50p or one dollar each it will help. OVBIOBA ISIKAN UKANKAN |
awada ny
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... 24 hrs African news outlet focus on rouge states like Nigeria will be interesting. If you need a BUSINESS PARTNER please contact me @ the above email address. I am a new yorker too. Thanks |
georgeo
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... I will support this project financially and I believe all those in the UK will support it as well. Believe it or not, if Sahara TV goes live, all those in Nigeria will not watch another TV other than Sahara TV. lets get it going guys. |
Dayo Ajakaiye
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... I am ready to contribute as well. Are there any plans to lunch Sahara News Tv soon? |
Truthhurt
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... I have said this many times & i will say it one more time again, here are the followings of what i intend to do for Sahara Reporters assuming if Nigerians are ready. 1-Sowole please, please commence the strategic launching of Sahara News Tv via Bskyb with London & New york as channel stations first. 2-I would like to play a part in doing all i can in making this an achievable goal 3-I will contribute $1000.00 as part of this fund raising drive & if anybody matches my donation i will double the donation. 4-Let us we Nigerians at least one million of us donate $50 each to this fund-raising to help launch SAHARA NEWS TV. If we can raise $50,000,000(Fifty Million Dollars) simply by contributing $50 each to this project, then you can be rest assured that Nigerians all over the world would be compelled to watch SNT LIVE on Tv through satellite using BSKYB Air time. Let me know your thoughts brothers & sisters |
ogbeni naija
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... SAHARA REPORTERS IS THE ONLY MEDIUM TO TALK TO OUR GREEDY AND CORRUPT LEADERS.AT LEAST THE SSS,NIGERIA POLICE AND PDP KILLER SQUAD CANNOT WAKE UP ONE DAY TO OBEY ONE ZOMBIE ORDERS TO SEAL SAHARA REPORTERS.I TELL YOU THOSE OUR NIGERIAN LEADERS(MAGGOTS) READ SR ON DAILY BASES,THEY ARE RESTING ON THEIR OARS AS THEY ARE PLANNING TO TRACK DOWN SAHARA REPORTERS AND REGULAR COMMENTATORS ON THIS SITE.WE GET ALL WE CAN NOT GET FROM ALL THE LOCAL NEWS PAPERS THAT HAS BEEN BOUGHT OVER BY THE THOSE MAGGOTS IN POWER.KEEP UP THE GOOD JOB,WE WANT TO HEAR ALL THOSE ATROCITIES THEY THINK ARE SECRETS.I KNOW YOU WILL KEEP FEEDING US WITH WHAT WE WANT TO HEAR. |
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