We must all stand up and condemn this – and more, in today’s news roundup with Cheta Nwanze

by Cheta Nwanze

journalists

…the fourth estate, or the media, is the most important part of a democracy. For if the media is incapable of doing its job, then how will the electorate make the right choices and pick the best leaders?

Nothing is more important to a democracy than a well informed electorate. When there’s no information or, much worse, wrong information, it can lead to disastrous decisions and stifle any attempts at vigorous debate. That is the reason I became a journalist.

This morning, we must all stand up and condemn in the strongest terms the detention of four journalists from the Leadership newspapers by the police over a story published last week of a directive from the highest echelons of office in our land. As Burke rightly observed all those centuries ago, the fourth estate, or the media, is the most important part of a democracy. For if the media is incapable of doing its job, then how will the electorate make the right choices and pick the best leaders?

But this morning’s newsletter will not be complete without an apology. I must apologise to YOU, and every other Nigerian who hopefully would eventually get to read this piece. I must apologise for my failure, and the failure of every other person in the Nigerian media who has failed to successfully inform and educate the Nigerian voter. We have all been accomplices in an industry that for a variety of reasons has failed to tell Nigerians the complete truth about the issues that should really concern the average Nigerian. We have for years misdirected the attention of the average Nigerian from the real deal.

The reason that the Nigerian media has largely failed in its duty is not a mystery to anyone. Most Nigerian journalists are underpaid (a few have fought back, and lost, some have won), underfunded, and not paid on time, if ever at all. However, this should not be an excuse for educated people to ignore stories that tell the majority of Nigerians the kind of government that we have. And on that score, the writers at the Leadership got it right. The truth must be said that faced with grinding poverty, the vast majority of our journalists would continue to keep quiet in exchange for their daily bread. But what must be done, is that when a story comes that is so outrageous, that story must be aired for all to see, despite what platform it was published on. The average Nigerian cannot, after fourteen years of nominal democracy, continue living in a situation where people whom we “voted” to represent our interests, turn around to use the resources of state to keep us down.

So, we must ask, and keep asking the tough questions.

Why must the governors of Delta, Jigawa, Kano, Niger and Rivers be embarrassed by the state for not being part of the herd? Why must everything be done to frustrate the merger of opposition political parties into one that stands a chance of (finally) providing Nigerians with a genuine alternative?

Why should the Presidency set petrol prices at N130 or N140 a litre despite the people’s opposition to it, and despite the claim that “market forces” dictate the price?

Why should the President retain the portfolio for Minister of Defence when it is clear from his own list that that ministry is under-performing?

Why have we not been told of the true state of the ministries of Culture & Tourism, Defence, Education, FCT, Internal Affairs, Labour & Productivity, Petroleum Resources, Police Affairs and Water Resources?
Why are their Ministers still in office despite chronic under performance?
Why have we not been given a compelling reason to drop Arunma Oteh?

Why, oh why, have four journalists been detained for performing their duties, and letting us know what we ought to know?

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Op-ed pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of Y!/YNaija.

One comment

  1. Thank you Ynaija associate editors. You guys represent the voice of the voiceless. What really pains me is that we Nigerians are too passive and afraid to confront the our “(s)elected” officials who are supposed to be public guardian of our collective welfare, but act with such aggression and impunity against the same people that they are suppose to serve. What a shame for our beloved country.

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