FRSC: A HARVEST OF LAURELS AND LIBELS
By Chigozie Chikere
The negative reporting of government officials by some dedicated websites is a subject very dear to the hearts of discerning Nigerians. It is a subject that media organizations have never covered extensively. Although some concerned citizens have time without number commented on it yet not much has changed since it was last spoken about, and the recent damaging report by saharareporters on the Corp Marshal and Chief Executive (COMACE) of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) presents a more serious cause to revisit the subject.
A brief review of the role of the media as the fourth estate of the realm reveals that the media, particularly in the western world, does not sit outside the state and throw stones at it. The media is embedded inside the state, helping it to function as designed by the powers that be. Thus the fashionable image of the media as a storming, howling enemy of the government and its officials is a myth that lives only in textbooks. It does not exist in the real world, at least not in Britain, or America, or France or Germany, or anywhere else in the west.
It is pertinent to note here that saharareporters is an organization known to everyone who accesses their website as a medium dedicated to publishing subversive reports against the government of Nigeria and its officials. Nevertheless, there is nothing wrong with telling the truth. But in the course of telling the truth, courtesy demands that a balance be maintained, at least for the sake of decency and fellow feeling. A situation where a media organization takes delight in presenting lopsided reports to its audience is grossly misleading. Taking a cue from the words of Ronald Spark of The Sun (1991), “ Truth is sacred, but a newspaper that tells only part of the truth is a million times preferable to one that tells the truth in order to harm…”
What about media oganisations that are selective when it comes to whom to report? For instance when the two Abuja-based self-styled human rights Lawyers, Charles Ogboli and Ugochukwu Osuagwu, took issues with Jerry Agada, former Minister of State for Education, over the houses he was alleged to have bought, and Jerry Agada naturally became crimson with rage, saharareporters saw that scenario as an opportunity to celebrate these lawyers by reporting every of their utterance as hallowed truth. But when the same lawyers spoke unfavourably about Nuhu Ribadu, the former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and a hallowed icon in saharareporters pantheon, these reporters resorted to treating the comments of these once celebrated lawyers as blasphemous and heretic, to everybody’s surprise. What a biased way of reporting the ‘truth’?
Besides the bias in style of reporting, libel is also fast becoming a trademark of saharareporters as the report on Mr Osita Chidoka, the award winning FRSC Boss reveals. Earlier before now, Nigerians have savoured every moment of distinction presented by the FRSC’s fast growing international image. In the last one year, reports about the activities of the FRSC indicated the Mr Chidoka has taken giant strides not only to redefine the scope of road traffic administration and road safety management in the country, but has also taken it beyond our national frontiers. Although it is a truth widely acknowledged that for every success there is a price tag, yet it is too early for any well-meaning citizen of this country to take any step aimed at shrouding the shining achievements of the visionary leadership of Mr Osita Chidoka.
According to the report in question, it was alleged that a certain Dr Nwaka who was opportune to be a senior staff of the commission in charge of procurement, was unjustly relieved of her post for failing to sign a procurement proposal. This is just not true. In fact, from a reliable source, it was gathered that the woman in question whose real name is C.N. Uwadoka (not a doctor of any sort), was actually relieved of her post but strictly on the grounds of administrative incompetence. In fact her appointment to that post was purely on the basis of the Corp Marshal’s magnanimity and so when she failed to live up to the demands of the job, precisely due to very poor intellect and lack of discipline, she was summarily removed and re-posted.
In a futile effort to further embarrass the Corp Marshall, the report also had it that in December 2008, the Corp marshal procured a staggering 500,000 vehicle tires of different types. Incidentally, on the basis of common sense, this is nothing short of a calculated attempt to discredit the administrative prudence of the Corp Marshal. Perhaps the petitioners, who undoubtedly are among the disgruntled elements within the Commission, are unaware of the fact that such a figure is too outrageous in relation to the capacity of any storage facility owned and maintained by the commission anywhere in the country.
Further the report mentioned a particular case of petition written against the Corp Marshall stating how he promoted one Uba Hassan from the rank of Assistant Corp Marshal to Deputy Corp Marshall, at a time the old man was supposed to proceed on his three months pre-retirement leave. Hassan, it was alleged, is kept in service after his promotion due to his ‘loyalty’ to Mr. Chidoka. The truth here still remains that Uba Hassan, the third in the FRSC hierarchy, had been denied promotion for the past twelve (12) years. It was only while he was tidying up for his pre-retirement leave that the Corp Marshal noticed this grave injustice and decided to give it a redress, in his usual character. Mr. Hassan, it was gathered in appreciation for the Corp Marshall’s rapid response posture in this issue, decided to forfeit his leave but only to the chagrin of those flippant mischief makers who quickly went to town with their distorted picture.
Other bits and pieces of sophistry and delusion contained in the report are nothing but manifestations of the malicious and retrogressive minds of the rumour peddlers, and are therefore not worthy of consideration. However, the publisher of saharareporters website should bear in mind that what they publish are accessed and analysed at various quarters by experts who, in no time, have concluded that the agenda of the publisher of the site is to bring the government of President Umar Musa Yar’Adua to disrepute.
Considering the muddling details of the report, which was perhaps deliberate, there is no doubt that the petitioners are insiders who following the institutionalization of promotion examinations as a prerequisite for staff career movement and progression by the present leadership of the FRSC, could not meet up with the required intellectual and regimental contents of these examinations. Consequently, their promotions were stalled pending when they pass their examinations. Evidently, as a way of getting even with the administration, they decided to play the role of fifth columnists, which they truly are.
But the promotion examinations are supposed to come as a follow-up to the systematic training programme designed by the new leadership for staff development. As it stands senior and middle level officers are now being sent for courses both locally and overseas as part of a vigorous capacity building strategy for staff. Also civil and paramilitary courses that consolidate institutional discipline, build leadership and ensure cohesion, which before now was the exclusive preserve of a few privileged staff, are now open to all and sundry. But no matter how much you pay a blackmailer, he will always come back.
It is unfortunate that these ugly reports are coming at the heels of the prestigious Prince Michael International Road Safety Award won by the FRSC in December 2008, for outstanding performance in mobilising public confidence and support for road safety initiatives in Nigeria. Moreover, the global impact of this award for Nigeria is just as overwhelming as the embarrassing effect of any treacherous report against the Corp Marshal. However, Nigerians should not forget the saying that the cooking pot for the Chameleon is also the cooking pot for the lizard.
Anyone who has been following the trend of reports published in saharareporters website can agree with me that they are just being mischievous for reasons best known to them. For instance, at one corner of their webpage there is a picture of the poisonous My Pikin teething powder, and a legend that puts to question the sincererity of the seven year old war against fake drugs embarked upon by the Former Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Professor Dora Akunyili. At a later time, the same website published a statement criticising President Yar’Adua for appointing Professor Akunyili as Information Minister instead of Health Minister. According to them, Akunyili happens to be the best candidate for the Health Ministry for now. Without mincing words, these contradicting statements about the celebrated former NAFDAC Chief betray saharareporters’ misguided style of reporting. What they failed to understand was that by lending voice to that campaign of calumny against Akunyili over My pikin, they were unwittingly joining forces with her detractors who masterminded the My Pikin plot primarily to disqualify her from becoming the health Minister.
Whatever happens, whether it is about Professor Akunyili or Mr Chidoka, or even President Yar’Adua, negative reporting or outright libel, as was the case with the FRSC Boss, is an ill wind that blows no one any good.
TO BE CONTINUED
Chigozie Chikere
Traffic Data Analyst
7 Samuel Ladoke akintola Boulevard
Garki II, Abuja.
e-mail: grandefather@yahoo.com
