Journalists’ Dinner With the Devil

Rtd Gen Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida

The chicken flirts with the hyena under the illusion of love. Little did she realise that she has entered into a lopsided and precarious relationship. ‘Love‘ guarantees nothing; and since the chicken is the vulnerable one in the relationship, it is logical that she will come off the worse.

A group of 40 journalists had gone to meet the ‘evil genius‘ at his Hill Top mansion. The journalists were welcomed and assured of a pleasant night-out, packed with peace, calm, intrigues and reward. All they needed was a sense of humour, understanding and a light-hearted approach toward blackmail, theft and deceit. It was almost criminal!

Ibrahim Babangida‘s profile had suffered thorough hammering since he made public his intention to run for the presidency. His logistics are deeply flawed. His corner seems to lack the experience of such a big-time ‘fight.‘ IBB appears lost. His response to almost all the questions variously put to him are so uncoordinated that he comes off as a dumbo general.

Regardless of this, that the gun was his bastion of power, one cannot but wonder how such a man was able to hold sway for eight years. Any wonder why we are where we are today as a country? Nigeria is a product of its agbero leaders.

Desperate situations call for desperate measures. Hence, it becomes imperative that IBB shores up his profile; and who is in a better position to assist him than spin doctors and journalists in the bid to sell daytime as night time! In his desperation to drag himself back into reckoning, IBB hosted the journalists to a tasteful dinner. During the evening, his guests were served a sumptous four-course meal by specially trained wenches and knaves. By the time dinner was over, the journalists were all given ‘golden handshakes.

Unconfirmed sources claim the amount involved was N10m. But, was it N10m per journalist? Or was it shared among the journalists present? Shall we assume that whatever amount they accepted is the worth of their conscience? Is the money a one-off payment or is it part of a largesse to be paid by instalment? Is the money part of a performance-related pay? So far, none of the journalists has come out to deny receiving money from IBB.

The ethics of journalism permits journalists to meet with newsmakers as sources of information that is current, relevant and sustainable. IBB is also within his rights to choose where and when he wants to meet journalists. Not many journalists can decline an invitation from IBB, regardless of the fact that he is an eccentric dictator. Like him or loathe him, IBB is a newsmaker quite capable of generating news, whether good or bad. Journalists are unable to ignore IBB not just because of his status, but precisely because of the bad news he is prone to generate lately.

Journalism operates on the premise that its first obligation is to the truth. In its quest to espouse truth, its responsibility becomes one that reports all sides to an issue. Its loyality is to the citizens. Its essence is the discipline of verification and its practitioners must maintain independence from those they cover.

The perceived power of the press lies in its ability to influence and help shape public opinion for or against the government and its polices. There is also the perception that the press represents their customers. However, many factors impinge on journalists attitude in the discharge of their duties. These factors include among others, threats of arrest, the trauma of actual arrest, harassment, torture, detention, murder, censorship by both the state and publishers as well as self-censorship owing to unholy inducements, vested interest or the fear factor. Even in routine reporting, bias sometimes creeps into a story through a reporter‘s choice to summarise or through his failure to check enough sources, hear and report dissenting viewpoints or seek fresh perspectives to a story.

Despite these constraints, few people take to the journalism profession because of money. Rather, people take to the profession because of their passion for it. Journalists are human. They patronise the same markets like you. They worship at the same places of worship like you. In a country where corruption is rampant, almost to the level of being endemic, journalists are expected to be above board, to be squeaky clean and be saintly in a lesser ‘Sodom and Gomorrah‘! I am not particularly sure that journalists can be saintly in a country that extols big-time thieves that we call leaders.

Despair will be the reaction of most decent people as they digest the news that a group of journalists allowed themselves to be corrupted by the prince of darkness from Minna, who desperately wants to lord himself over us again. God forbid bad thing! It is simply beyond comprehension that the journalists involved could not decipher the glaring conflict of interest as they queued to accept their share of the ‘booty.‘

Journalists lack the moral right to preach against corruption while they indulge in taking bribes. Practice what you preach. The ethical issues are that journalists are paid by their employers rather than by newsmakers. Journalists are also paid relevant allowances (transport, lodging, etc.) by their employers to facilitate meeting newsmakers, regardless of where the venue is. The journalists involved will be less than human to claim that such gratification cannot interfere with the discharge of their duties. Their integrity has been compromised.

Journalists are believed to represent the conscience of the nation, but when some questionable journalists collect perverse handouts from newsmakers, they expose other decent journalists to public scorn. Sadly, all journalists stand accused now, but not all are guilty.

Journalists are not almajeris, but those who collected ‘transport allowance‘ from IBB are such a blot on decent journalists. They have dragged a noble profession in the mire. They are modern day Judases to the cause of the Nigerian people. If they have any grain of conscience left, they should return the money. Not to the despicable rogue-general but to a trust set up by the Nigeria Union of Journalists to cater for the family of journalists killed in the line of duty.

Furthermore, there are serious business implications in this matter. Media houses thrive on readership and when fuelled by objectivity and credibility. Without it, public trust and confidence could be eroded and once that is gone, media houses lose their readership and audience. Without the readership and the audience, then, it‘s the requiem for such media houses.

It is imperative that media houses re-evaluate their purpose in business with a corresponding mission statement. The quality and commitment of practitioners should be closely looked at and where appropriate, fashion out training and re-training to maximise returns on investement.

Inasmuch as one believes that it is hard to legislate morality, it is imperative that the NUJ, The Guild of Editors, and the publishers, together with other stakeholders, deal with this rather unhealthy practice that is prevalent among professionals but remains largely unreported. Not all are guilty, but sweeping the problem under the carpet will not make it go away. It can only become compounded. What is essential is for journalists to make attitude change.

As regards IBB and his evil design to actualise his presidential dream, he is well advised to persist, as long as it is done within the ambit of the law. He is allowed to aspire, he is allowed to enjoy the benefits of democracy which he flaggrantly denied million of Nigerians. That is the beauty of democracy.

But try hard as he may, he cannot run away from his past. He cannot divorce himself from his shadows. Let him employ the services of global image makers and world acclaimed publicists to dust him up, brand him, rebrand him, polish him, re-polish him. He may even undertake plastic surgery, it won‘t change anything. His albatross will forever dog his heels.

IBB wants to reap kola where he had strewn thorns. For now, it is up to the PDP if it will allow him to lead it on an highway to nowhere. His battle is not just against ex Vice-President Abubakar Atiku or President Goodluck Jonathan (if he decides to contest) or Gen. Muhammadu Buhari. Nigerians are waiting. Waterloo beckons. IBB has a date with Nemesis.

- Ojo is a London-based Nigerian journalist.