Two pathetic events last week made me cringe to my marrow. The first was the press release issued by wife of the disgraced ex Deji of Akure, seeking public forgiveness for her thug husband and restoration of the depraved individual that publicly attempted to at the very least; maim her for life by means of acid bath.
Two pathetic events last week made me cringe to my marrow. The first was the press release issued by wife of the disgraced ex Deji of Akure, seeking public forgiveness for her thug husband and restoration of the depraved individual that publicly attempted to at the very least; maim her for life by means of acid bath.
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The second was the nocturnal outing of a gang of brown envelope hunters at a coven in Minna in the darkest hours of Saturday 14th of August. The sole aim of the now infamous outing, widely reported in both online and print media was to enkindle a-money -for -favourable news liaison between former military tyrant, Ibrahim Babangida and members of the fourth estate of our democracy. For a start, the arch-enemy of free speech reportedly doled out a princely sum of ten million naira bribe, unashamedly couched as ‘transport money’. It is noteworthy to mention that one week after these ugly revelations, none of the accused journalists have denied these bribe allegations, despite their unlimited access to the public.
While one may fairly dismiss the rambling of ex Deji’s wife as one of the many puzzles of relationship- why do women remain stuck in abusive relationship?- it is difficult to excuse the conduct of men and women that attended the bizarre cash-for-news nocturnal event in Minna last week.
First, one needs to point out that as a former dictator that once headed an illegal regime, Babangida is a news maker and it’s understandable that the press may like to keep a close tab on him. It’s also fair that the press, especially the mainstream media provides equal coverage for all candidates gunning for elective positions.
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But we will be fooling ourselves, if we assume that the infamous Minna show of shame was a responsible attempt by the brown envelope hunters to engage the ex tyrant on the reasons for his presidential declaration. For, if that were to be so, there was no reason why that event could not be held openly and in broad daylight. Rather, a select number of pen pushers were secretly recruited and bussed almost in commando fashion to an opulent coven in Minna at late hours, in deliberate exclusion of other unbiased journalists.
Again, if the Minna show was meant to be a credible media interaction, why couldn’t the ex tyrant be interviewed on camera, so that Nigerians could hear his side of the story in his own words. Rather, Babangida chose to read from a written speech, he had no hand in its preparation. What followed was a preselected questions followed by preselected answers with no room for any follow up questions, as Babangida mocked aggrieved Nigerians with his inconsiderate answers.
Thus, what should have been an incisive interview turned into a charade, as the owa mbe journalists, with their eyes fixated on the ‘transport money’, grinned like a bunch of school kids in a candy shop as IBB regurgitated his usual vacuous responses to oceans of allegations levelled against him by majority of his fellow citizens.
It needs to be said that the actions of the journalists who participated in the ten million naira bonanza bordered on roguery because in the first place, their transport money has already been taken care of by their organisations. So it is comparable to a police extortionist who demands money before he could do the job he has been paid for.
Secondly, demanding or receiving monetary inducements, no matter how couched, from any candidate, violates and mocks the integrity and dignity of practitioners of a free and unbiased press.
Thirdly, their actions exposes the depth and rot in our mainstream media at a time one is finding it increasing difficult to differentiate propaganda from news items in our mainstream media.
Fourthly, the actions of the Owambe journalists, who I will like to pretend represents a tiny minority of the journalism profession, have the capacity to erode public confidence in the hard earned reputation of Nigerian press nurtured in the dark days of Babangida and Abacha brutal regimes.
Journalistic heroes like Dele Giwa, Bagauda Kaltho and a host of other great men and women, who have paid with their lives and liberty under the evil regimes of Babangida and Abacha readily comes to mind.
Fifthly, the action of the Owambe journalists in presenting a birthday card to the most notorious repressor of press in Nigeria, should outrage any sane member of the NUJ. It is like a group of Jewish press men sending Birthday card to a Nazi foundation. The gang should have shown more respect to late Dele Giwa. In any case, Giwa do not need their pathetic sympathy anyway, because unlike their famous colleague, Nigerians will only laugh in derision when the monster they have mounted began to devour them.
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