OF SUBTLE GAGGING & IPI’s BLACK BO0K . . .
Stemming The Tide of Media Suppression -
By ‘Tunji Ajayi
There was a certain statesman who had a choice to make from two options. His name was Thomas Jefferson. Making a good choice from a wide array of options is often a Herculean task. Making it from only two options is not less tasking, and may even seem like a conundrum even for a perspicuous mind. Making a choice is not as simple as it may seem, especially because there is no second chance to make a first impression. Otherwise Mr. & Mrs Adam wouldn’t have made the wrong and disastrous choice which put humanity in dilemma till today. The handsome man and his ravishingly beautiful wife, Eve, had one choice to make from only two options - the tree of good or the tree of bad. Like a white sepulcher which appears beautiful outwardly; but inside it are rotting corpses and maggots with offensive odour, not all that glitters is gold. The aphorism remains ever true and sacrosanct.
Oh, the white sepulcher - a well decorated graveyard; the last home of man where there is neither social stratification nor class distinction between the rich and the poor, the beggars and the aristocrats, the impenitent and the remorseful, the arrogant and the humble; the callous and the genial. This suggests that what often seems alluring on the surface may inherently be bad underneath. But every human has the penchant to admire beautiful things; the nature and its pristine beauty, the physical and mundane materials and the extraterrestrials etc. Even the Angels on High do admire. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have indulged in peeping from the high heavens’ windows gazing intently and admiring the sinful but beautiful ladies on earth. The Bible reports that after our first parents had committed the first heinous sin which angered God, yet again “the sons of the true God (the angelic sons of God) began to notice the daughters of men and they were good looking.” . . . The angels “continued to have relations with the daughters of men” says the Holy Bible. (Gen 6:2-4). The result? They gave birth to men with abnormal physical growth, the Nephilim of old; to whom other people appeared so tiny like the grasshoppers (see Num. 13:33).
Thus, truth often appears bad, acrid, unacceptable and bitter to swallow. But utter falsehood is often sweet ab initio, though the end result of living in falsehood is odious and disastrous. It is pernicious. To have a government that dwells in truth and accepts it, no matter how acrid, is uncommon. Every government too has a choice to make from two options. It is either to live under illusion in utter falsehood and earn undeserved accolades from teeming gullible boot-lickers and conservative acolytes who ingratiate to win favour and savour the perquisites of office. On the other hand, the government may chose to live on sterling truth, earn popularity and approbation from the downtrodden citizens. But most Nigerian leaders have always made a wrong choice while gravitating to the side of falsehood, not realizing that only truth exalts a nation. Femi Emmanuel, a motivational speaker and writer advises: “If you desire to successfully manage the many bends of life unhurt, build your life on the truth.” This universal homily also applies to the running of the affairs of a nation. A nation that runs on the pillar of falsehood stagnates.
Thomas Jefferson was the 3rd President of the United States was in a situation to make a choice from two varied options. Yes. The advocate of liberty had a choice to make between having a free Press or Government. Jefferson didn’t mince words on what he would do: Hear him: “Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a Government without Newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate for a moment to prefer the latter.” Jefferson went on: “Where the press is free and every man is able to read, all is safe.” And that explains the mindset of one of the greatest leaders in American history who swore upon the altar of God “eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.” Yes. Great leaders advocate free lips and freedom of the press. They know that a nation’s prosperity thrives on the freedom of its press. Fascism begins with subtle banishment of dissenting voices and repression of the press, during which time a government only listens to its own voice as being the only solution to the nation’s multifarious problems and far superior to the people’s voice on whose goodwill it ascends to power. Every opposing voice becomes a threat except those of the government’s bootlickers and apologists.
In “Igboho & Our Journalist In Eye of the Storm: Gadding between Cobweb Laws and gliding into Dictatorship” Isubmitted that the Nigerian journalists are asphyxiated and in eye of the storm. They need a breather and reprieve. Otherwise, if totally silenced, the dismal situation of the nation would be worsened. The suffocating conditions of the Nigerian masses have not abated since the exit of the Abacha military rulership in 1998,while the so-called benefits of democratic governance flow only into the avaricious politician pockets and have blinded many to see clearly the horrendous situations of the ordinary man on the streets. To millions of Nigerians, benefiting from real dividends of democracy remains a mirage. The age-long problems of lack of infrastructure and the decay of the existing ones persist. Nigeria seems to be moving on the same spot. History is recording the sacred facts that Nigeria’s dismal situation got scandalously worse under the present Buhari administration which came on board in 2015, and under whose governance the hope of having a better Nigeria became far much more forlorn. This writer added: “Nigeria’s economic and social conditions get worse by the day. And so, in a bid to perform the sacred duties of ‘surveying the environment; correcting parts of the environment; and transmitting culture’, as postulated by the erudite communication theorist, Harold Lasswell; the Nigerian journalist is faced with making a choice between staying and enjoying his family life in his comfort zone, or performing his sacred duties of ‘nosing for news’ and keeping abreast of contemporary issues in his environment to inform, educate, entertain and titillate his audience. Indeed, when a nation is embroiled in perennial social, economic and political problems like ours, its media and the journalists suffer head pains daily; far worse than headaches.” Journalism and indeed media job is a selfless service. Like Jefferson stated earlier, it is unthinkable to imagine a nation ever surviving without a pragmatic media. Thus, rather than being hounded, a wise government honours journalists for complementing its efforts, and apportions the media institution due respect and support.
While citizens’ lamentations continue on daily basis especially due to the abysmally high spate of insecurity in the home, on the streets, in the farm, at the airport, on the railway, in the schools and university campuses, in the churches and mosques, etc., perhaps the only group of people on self delusion who feel all is well in Nigeria are the presidential aides who heap praises on themselves and the president, while ignoring people’s voices and chanting “l’etat c’est moi”. A visit to any public space would confirm that in addition to graduate and corporate beggars we have on our streets we now have countless “aged beggars”, many at their septuagenarian age grade, who have no means of daily survival. Many are pensioners but owed their terminal entitlements by various state governments. Yet, many had labored for decades to send their children to universities and colleges only for them to pass out and return home to become dependants to the already famished parents. In the present-day Nigeria, it is almost a vain exercise for a university graduate writing applications for employment, as industries and work places to submit such applications are almost non-existent. Virtually all the industries have folded up due to harsh economic problems and infrastructural decay. The few surviving ones running skeletal services, and at the verge of laying off their staff, are merely gasping for breath and considering closure. Most state governments who promised to pay their staff half-salaries could not even live up to their bidding. No regular electricity to run industries, while few can only rely on generating sets being powered by diesel whose prices have also soared to high heavens. In the midst of this was the importation of contaminated PMS fuel with its attendant hitch on the work flow and serious impact on the already bad economy. The Military and security men are scared of moving freely in their official uniforms on the roads as they have become soft targets of better armed criminals. Neither do our military men feel safe even inside their barracks which have been consistently attacked in the past 6 years. The military recently reported that within the last 18 months 714 soldiers had been killed, while many were maimed. That frightening word in war parlance often connotes permanent decapitation, which suggests the victims have literally become “homo mortis” andmay never be active in service again. But if that figure was for 18 months we could hazard a guess that the true un-manipulated figure of victims in the past 7 years of this administration would be horrendous and sickening to hear. Indeed, seven airforce officers lost their lives in a Beechcraft King Air 350 that crashed at Bassa village near the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport while on a reconnaissance mission to Niger State at the close of year 2021. Yet, in spite of this spate of disasters we are often told daily by the government’s spokespersons that the country is moving forward and all is well.
But only truth remains ever constant while falsehood keeps changing. Even in the midst of official sloganeering and grandstanding the Minister of Defense, Major General Bashir Magashi (rtd.) in February 2021 made a queer pronouncement. Apparently overwhelmed by the spate of insecurity and incessant attack on helpless and hapless citizens by the psychopathic bandits, kidnappers and the insurgents, which except for court pronouncement, ironically took the government an eternity to declare as terrorists, Magashi ostensibly reacting to daily public cry of anguish, advocated that Nigerians should learn the art of self defense. Bashir Magashi on February 17, 2021 in Abuja said the issue of security was not for the military alone. The retired army General blurted: “Is it the responsibility of the military alone? It is the responsibility of everybody to be alert and ensure safety when necessary.” We all know that. Magashi was right. But he added a disturbing homily: “We shouldn’t be cowards. Sometimes the bandits come with about three rounds of ammunition and when they fire shots everybody will run.” And that explains how cowardly we bloody civilians are. Magashi as an ex-military man knows how many rounds of ammunitions bandits carry in their AK-47 rifles, but we civilians do not know and have not been trained on how best to confront psychopathic criminals fully armed with sophisticated rifles. All we know is that even top military men, just like the civilians, had been ambushed, assaulted by criminals and kidnapped in the day light, while begging their families from the kidnappers den to urgently pay ransom. Hmmm . . . What a bold talk but a facile homily from a military General on why Nigerians should be brave and not be cowardly at confronting irascible bandits with AK-47 rifles, even if with only “3 bullets”!
Fela the music maestro was downright right when he likened Nigeria situations to that of a Perambulator. He said: “If you look the man well, na the same place he dey. He no go anywhere.” If Fela who died far back in 1997, which is 25 years ago, were to be resurrected today, Fela would meet, with chagrin and utter disbelief a worse Nigeria and would feel sorry he had warned impenitent Nigerian leaders throughout his lifetime in vain. Truly speaking, which progress has Nigeria really made on economy other than being sunk in huge debt and at the verge of becoming a good for nothing slave to China? What progress is made on education, electricity provision, water, food, housing, security, etc? Nigeria’s situation would have been better even if it is not moving forward but at least remains on the same spot. No! The painful truth is that Nigeria, being rummage by herders’ cows on the streets, airport tarmacs and public facilities in this age is rather retrogressing fast into the stone age. It is an obvious fact.
While many are dying daily, the living have been turned into “homo-mortis” on the throes of death. Thus, they are inclined to complain especially since the affairs of the state are run in trust for the people. Nigerian journalists and their media platforms are part of the suffocating society who, apart from seeing their families groaning in pain, also have the sacred responsibility of serving as the eyes and ears of the society. The government suspended Twitter for 6 months between June 2021 and January 2022 with its attendant disastrous economic consequences which also worsened Nigeria’s economic problems. Effective followership is ensured by good governance and never by any sanction or threats. In “Twisting Twitter’s Thoughts: The Antithesis of Outlawing Weeping While Flogging” (Ohio Wesleyan Press, USA, June 16, 2021), I had lamented that: “ . . . . rather than gauge people’s feeling using the media as the ears and eyes of the society to have a thorough, honest and unbiased assessment of its governance, the government engages the media in fights and altercations. . . . the government had suspended the effervescent Channels Television for airing on its facilities the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) interview with one of its leaders.”
In “Channels TV Suspension On IPOB Interview: The Dangerous Swing Of a Pendulum” (Ohio Wesleyan University Press, USA., April 29, 2021)I averred: “Consequently, the government sits on a nation’s affairs and runs office in trust for the people to assuage their sufferings. Government is the trustee. The people are the beneficiaries. Where the trustees derelict, the beneficiaries are placed in asphyxiating condition, which often leads to groaning and lamentation.” Thus, there is no way a man in pain and under intense stress and strain would not speak up which is often mistaken for criticism of the government. Nigeria’s situation is worsened by the fact that government’s spokespersons have not been honest in feeding the populace with the truth. And where this happens, people are inclined to rely on gossip and hearsay. For example, utter falsehood is often peddled on the true state of the nation on security.
For over six years the government had always restated “its full commitment to ensure security of lives and property.” The fulfillment of that promise remains to be seen. The more the government boasts that it has decimated the insurgents, the more criminals commit more horrendous acts, leading to deaths in hundreds. The more people groan, the more the government claims it has made huge successes, thus pummeling and assaulting the sensibility of the masses.
In Of Sholay Film’s Gabbar Singh & Our Own Garba Shehu: The Falsehood in Shehu’s Two-Digit Calculator” I had observed that “Even in the recent time we have seen a 344 figure of kidnapped school boys being reported as only 10 to Mr. President . . . Even when citizens are being mauled down on daily basis by serial killers, criminals, and terrorists who were euphemistically referred to as insurgents, presidential spokespersons are whispering to the ears of their principals and pay masters, eloquently telling them daily that our security system and the apparatus are in full control. Even as we mourn genocidal deaths and condemn Boko Haram mass killings, bandits’ throat slashing, farmers’ massacre and cattle rustling by AK-47 gun-wielding herders on daily basis, their pay masters are being fed that all is well in town.” Consequently, Nigerians are confused on who really is peddling falsehood and fake news. But the more the media strives to perform her sacred responsibilities and counter falsehood, the more the government becomes irked.
It is no wonder therefore why the International Press Institute (IPI) threatened on April 12, 2022 to open a Black Book for the perpetrators of assaults on the Nigerian journalists. In a press release and while on a courtesy visit on the Minister of Information & Culture, Mr. Lai Mohammed; the IPI (Nigeria) President was quoted as saying that the move became necessary in view of the country’s worsening press freedom record under the current administration. According to IPI President, Musikilu Mojeed: “We have decided to open a ‘black book’ to document every individual whose action or inaction encourages or allows the harassment of journalists and the media in Nigeria.” IPI (Nigeria) added: “The records so gathered will be regularly updated and shared periodically with embassies, and all relevant international and human rights groups across the world. “We will use the records to ensure named individuals are held accountable one way or another.” Mojeed also added that there were many Nigerians who believe the media was freer and stronger in 2015 than it is now, a perception that tallies with at least two global rankings. While the IPI said the country was not faring any better in the annual World Report, by Freedom House, adding that Nigeria “scored a cumulative 43/100 in the global freedom scores and was ranked a partly free country in the 2022 report, a performance worse than our 2021 showing when we scored 45/100.” However, this is contrary to the viewpoint of the Minister of Information & Culture, who said Nigeria is one of the very few countries in the world where journalists continued to practice their profession without hindrance despite abuse of press freedom.
Whatever is the true situation, press freedom should not be subtly curtailed especially to ascertain truth in the multi-ethnic, largest and most populous nation in Africa. The government should take a lesson from a communication guru and his writing on The Role of the Media in our Society. According to E.B. White: “The press in our free country is reliable and useful not because of its good character, but because of its great diversity. As long as there are many owners, each pursuing their own brands of truth, we the people have the opportunity to arrive at the truth and dwell in the light.” May we appreciate this salient fact before it is too late. Verbum Satis Sapienti.
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*’Tunji Ajayi, a creative writer, author, biographer and audiovisual documentary producer writes from LC-Studio Communications, Nigeria (+2348033203115, +2348162124412) Facebook: www.facebook.com/tunji.ajayi,946
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