If there is one major lesson the Nigerian media has taught the rest of the country from the Femi Fani-Kayode debacle, it is that journalists in these shores are united and they can in unison defend their own aggressively. Many colleagues I have spoken to told me they now feel even more proud being the watchdogs of the society than at any other time in our nation’s history.
A hitherto unknown Calabar-based journalist has somewhat become a celebrity because the media insisted on protecting his humanity. Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, otherwise known as FFK, who initially vowed never to apologize for verbally assaulting the reporter, was forced to eat humble pie by not just profusely apologizing to the journalist in question, but the Nigerian media in general. As we speak, this matter is still very much on the front burner, with some chapters of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) boycotting events called by FFK.
From Iwe Irohin, the first newspaper established in Nigeria about 150 years ago, to the various news platforms that presently constitute the Nigerian press, the nation’s media has always been at the vanguard of the fight for the entrenchment of democracy and free enterprise. Though there are some false starts when a few colleagues allow politicians with vested interests to dictate the way and manner they report events and personalities, the fact remains that, by and large, the media in Nigeria can be proud of what it has achieved for the people.
Like every human endeavour, however, we in the media are surely not perfect. And, clearly, one of the areas calling for improvement is the way and manner we do our various reportage of the war against terrorism and banditry, where some media organisations stoop to the lowly level of allowing themselves to be led by the nose by some social media organisations that have no fixed address, and who dish out falsehood that they always garb in noble robes.
These days, you see some mainstream media organizations copying word for word, concocted materials or pictures of events that have taken place in other African countries, just to discredit the military or its leadership. Not all of us care to interrogate the stories or pictures filed by some lazy reporters who have also been giving the energetic, positive-minded ones a bad name. Sadly, not even all of them are quacks.
It is obviously for that reason that, earlier in the week, a respected civil society organisation, the Citizens Initiative for Security Awareness (CISA), called on “critics of military operations to strive in balancing their analysis and commentaries, so as not to dampen the morale of troops prosecuting the war against insurgency, banditry and other crimes, perpetrated across the country.”
In specific terms, some commentators in the public sphere, as well as sections of the media in this country tend to see the Nigerian military and security services in the unfortunate manner of “we” versus “them.” For human errors that these organizations make, or for the reason that their commander-in-chief is President Muhammadu Buhari, who they have vowed to see nothing good in, some of these colleagues will almost always condemn every move of the military and somewhat celebrate their failures by according more premium space to the terrorists, at the expense of our military.
Many will rather believe and readily publish tales emanating from the terrorists and give a blackout to the military. The simple logic that according more space to terrorists in our various newspapers, radio and television outfits aggregates to supporting them, inadvertently as it might be, means nothing to some media personalities in these shores, provided in so doing, they will be seen to be denying the much-hated President Buhari any due credit.
But the question I always ask is: do we have another military in Nigeria, apart from the one recognized by the constitution, and whose personnel are sacrificing their all, including their lives, in our defence? Personally, I can afford to also be reckless in the way and manner I report terrorism and insurgency in this country, but that’s if only I have another legally-formed military to choose from. And so, what it means is that since the only military that we in Nigeria have is the one many of us erroneously prefer to report from a negative perspective, many of us will rather detach ourselves from the crowd by supporting them to win the war and ensure we and every other Nigerian continue to live in peace and operate as journalists or engage in some other endeavor.
When, between April and July 1994, the Rwandan military and entire armed forces were overwhelmed during the genocide, all media houses were forced to close shop, as everyone was running for dear life. Feeding once in two or three days and drinking of one’s urine was tragically the norm, rather than the exception. As is well known, more than a million people lost their dear lives in just 100 days of intense rage.
Even here in Nigeria, in Abuja, Kaduna and other places, some media organisations were bombed eight years ago and some of our colleagues, such as Enenche of Channels TV and Bisallah of New Telegraph newspaper, were killed by Boko Haram in Kano and Abuja, respectively. Even the United Nations building in Abuja and come to think of it, the Nigeria Police Force headquarters were also bombed. Now, the fact that the terrorists could no longer operate in Abuja and other states, apart from mainly Borno State, should be enough indication that unprecedented victories are being attained in our nation’s push to rid this country of all forms of terrorism and banditry. I cannot fail to see and appreciate that, even when I believe some mistakes are being made by the military, just as nothing human can ever be perfect.
In his relentless efforts to woo Nigerians and especially the media to support the Nigerian military in the war against banditry and terrorism, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Tukur Yusufu Buratai once told the management of the Sun Publishing Company and the Daily Trust newspapers in a meeting he had with them that the media can deploy its immense powers to help win the war for Nigeria if they, in unison, strongly support the armed forces and report less on the unverified “exploits” of the terrorists and bandits.
The Army Chief was very clear that no one was denying the media its right to report issues as they are, but that in so doing, we should not lose sight of the fact that terrorists thrive in publicity, which we have unintentionally and generously been giving them very much for free. General Buratai is completely right in that regard because even countries where journalism originated from put aside their differences with the armed forces or government of the day, to suppress the enemies by refusing them publicity through prominent publication.
The treatment we all have collectively given the much-hyped FFK is a pointer to the fact that the Nigerian media is still very much effective in its agenda-setting role as Fourth Estate of the Realm. If we all do that to Boko Haram, there is no doubt that that alone will defeat the remnants of the terrorists and bandits still in existence and ensure such calamity does not visit us ever again. We will then continue working without let or hindrance, and without the fear of being bombed by terrorists, as has unfortunately happened to some of our dear colleagues.
Through our sustained support in the media, citizens will see the need to help our armed forces with the kind of information needed to totally win the war and enthrone a society that is safe for us all.
Over to you, the ever-vibrant Nigerian media.