Special Report by Bob MajiriOghene Etemiku, Alltimepost.com Special Correspondent
Edo state has a million and one issues – issues of poor power supply, gully erosion arising from poorly constructed roads, climate change issues, dilapidating public infrastructure and general hardship in the land. We have seen public primary and secondary school children being left in the sun and rain and being discriminated against in the public transport system in Benin City. We have observed to our eternal dismay, that Edo state markets are some of the dirtiest in Nigeria, with the cruelest mafia groups terrorizing poor traders. Things are very expensive in these markets mostly because 90% of all foods we consume come from the North – the rice, beans, cucumbers, tomatoes, pepper and meat. Is anyone journalist taking up these issues? Schools are shut and opened and shut at will, and if there is one or more journalists or two looking at the Edo budget, Edo Hospitals and bringing these issues to the strictest measure of scrutiny, the governor himself would know Edo journalists are not two for a penny as is being peddled around Nigeria.
It seems all is not well between Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State and some members of the Fourth Estate of the Realm in Edo state.
There are many accusations and counter accusations that the governor seems to have extended his resolve not to dash politicians fee money, to journalists.
Information on ground confirmed that they are miffed and on the path of war with the governor. The real grudge: Prior to Godwin Obaseki’s administration, his predecessor, Adams Oshiomhole was said to have ‘carried everybody’ along.
Most journalists recall with nostalgia that the former governor had several journalists on a monthly stipend, and that he provided the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Edo with a bus and every once in a while sent his lieutenants to hobnob with the journalists at the NUJ Secretariat in Benin City.
From there he would glean info on the state of his administration and make the necessary adjustments. Unlike what stakeholders say is happening now, the former governor left the dispensation of state advertorials to the media, at the discretion of his media assistant, who made sure that everyone was ‘carried along.’
Most of the journalists who benefited from payroll arrangement with the previous administration, argue that it was from this that they survived the ordeal of non-payment of their salaries by their employers, even though such practice violates the much touted ethics of the noble profession.
For others who ran community newspapers, government patronage such as dispensed by the Adams Oshiomhole administration helped to keep journalism business afloat.
Here is what eventually happened – a journalismgate. It arose from that informal relationship that existed between journalists at the NUJ secretariat in Benin City and the former Edo state governor.
As ‘parting gift’, Adams Oshiomhole allegedly gave some journalists – members of the correspondent Association, an arm of the NUJ, the sum of N5million during the last days of his administration.
To Oshiomhole, known for his generosity to those who remain committed and loyal to him, it was a gesture deeply rooted in the show of gratitude.
By the time the gist came to the fore, the monies had been allegedly shared by a group which believed they were the actual recipients of the largesse from Mr. Oshiomhole.
Others believed otherwise, insisting that the monies were not for an Exco or any individual for that matter, but that it was a ‘parting gift’ from the governor to all journalists in the state for their benevolent reportage of Mr. Oshiomhole’s administration.
The damage exerted by the scandal on the disposition of journalists and on the profession in Edo state, and indeed in Nigeria is yet to go away. In the next ten years, that incident will continue to have an impact on the way politicians relate with journalists.
And that is because nearly everywhere, Nigerian journalists are seen as very small people whose existence depends on handouts from politicians, and thereby their allegiance.
Pundits aver that instead of doing stories relating to the issues of very poor governance, rotting infrastructure, corruption and transparency and accountability in governance, some journalists abandoned their oversight responsibilities to the people and became loud megaphones for some of these politicians.
They would look the other way, or turn a blind eye as soon as they collect their stipends or adverts or plates of porridge. But contrary to what had obtained during Mr. Oshiomhole’s era, a source told Alltimepost.com, that Mr. Obaseki is said to have directed that information and messages leaving Osadebey Avenue must be approved by his media assistant.
What this translates to is a situation where one man is responsible for all sounds, images and words leaving any ministry, department or agency. The man too, is alleged to make all decisions concerning which media house or agency he deals with and at whatever commission – which again is said to go to this man exclusively, making him really rich.
It seems though that before Mr. Obaseki allegedly embarked on regimenting messages from his administration, he may have laid hands on a book, Modern Business (Public Relations) by the Alexander Hamilton Institute, New York, (1965).
Page 4 and 18 of that book, cite the AT&T as a classic example of the need for a public relations department responsible for the spoken, written, and picture messages, and in most cases to function as a one-man PR department.
In doing this however, Mr. Obaseki is said to have the face of a hobbit. His traducers insist that even though he has resolved not to dash anyone free money, he lives a very lavish lifestyle and still dashes free money to a select group of politicians and journalists.
According to these traducers, most of the journalists he prefers to deal with are not from Edo state but from Lagos, Abuja and Port-Harcourt. At the base of these accusations leveled against Mr. Obaseki are issues of money.
It seems therefore that just the same way politicians have arisen in arms against the governor’s refusal to dash them free money, so have the journalists.
A senior journalist told Alltimepost.com that he recalled a very celebrated matter involving a big newspaper owner in the North who fought Mr. Buhari’s predecessor almost to a standstill – and over adverts that were or were not given.
“This is very depressing and leaves very much to be desired. We believe that Mr. Governor is Mr. Governor, and his decision to dash or not to dash anyone money is strictly his decision. We shouldn’t and cannot hold him to account on that.
“What we should do and be seen to be doing is subject him to the strictest measure of accountability and transparency in the conduct of governance.
“Subjecting him and his administration to the strictest measures of accountability and transparency in governance must not be because the governor refuses to dash anyone money but as a function of our first allegiance as journalists – to hold the powerful to account, and speak truth to power,” the veteran journalist said.
Edo state has a million and one issues – issues of poor power supply, gully erosion arising from poorly constructed roads, climate change issues, dilapidating public infrastructure and general hardship in the land.
We have seen public primary and secondary school children being left in the sun and rain and being discriminated against in the public transport system in Benin City. We have observed to our eternal dismay, that Edo state markets are some of the dirtiest in Nigeria, with the cruelest mafia groups terrorizing poor traders.
Things are very expensive in these markets mostly because 90% of all foods we consume come from the North – the rice, beans, cucumbers, tomatoes, pepper and meat. Is anyone journalist taking up these issues?
Schools are shut and opened and shut at will, and if there is one or more journalists or two looking at the Edo budget, Edo Hospitals and bringing these issues to the strictest measure of scrutiny, the governor himself would know Edo journalists are not two for a penny as is being peddled around Nigeria.
To get out of that circle of low self-esteem of our colleagues, some journalists recommend that aggrieved journalists ignore the governor and his money and concentrate on doing their jobs.
“A difficult task but we must, and as part of our oversight functions get into community activism, get involved in training and retraining programs and get involved in capacity building issues.
We must also develop a mechanism or a system which holds media employers who do not meet the obligations to their employees to account. Otherwise, all this grammar translates to nothing,” a senior Edo NUJ member who did not want his name in print said.
Alltimepost.com sought the view of Mr. Osarodion Ogie, Secretary to the Edo State government. He declined to comment, and directed our correspondent to the Edo State Commissioner for Information.
Even when Alltimepost reminded him that commissioners will be seeking his permission to speak with Alltimepost.com, he stuck to his guns. As expected, the commissioner for information was unavailable for comment as at press time.
Watchers of the alleged frosty relationship between Edo journalists and Mr. Godwin Obaseki cite the set of incidents leading to the conference organized by the Edo NUJ Correspondents’ Chapel on Fake news.
There are allegations that in a meeting with the leadership of the Edo State Correspondents Chapel, the governor promised to assist the Chapel with funds to organize the seminar. Yet in spite of the several letters which the Correspondents sent to him, the Governor reneged on his pledge to help.
Therefore, the Chapel was said to have taxed themselves and organized the seminar on fake news anyways. Neither the governor nor his representative showed up at the seminar, according to sources close to the NUJ.
Roland Osakwe is Edo State NUJ chairman who discount the existence of any daylight between Edo journalists and Governor Obaseki. Rather Osakwe insisted that journalists in Edo state are at peace with Mr. Obaseki.
“The stories making the rounds that journalists in Edo state are at war with Mr. Obaseki are not true. We have very cordial relationship with our governor,” Mr. Osakwe said.
But another very well-respected veteran journalist, Tony Abolo has another view on the matter though.
According to him, the Governor, seemingly aware of the ‘cordial’ relationship of carrying everyone along that existed between his predecessor and Edo journalists might be doubtful where their sympathies lie.
“But in spite of this though, can we really find journalists in Edo state worth their professional salt with whom the Governor may want to engage?,” Mr. Abolo asked our correspondent.
