By Abdulrahman Ibrahim Kirfi
The Federation Of Nigeria From The Incunabulum Started On A Right Footing, The First Sets Of Leaders were Identified With Patriotism, Nationalism, Selflessness, Justice and Fairness. The Balewa, Zik, Sardauna and Awolowo gave their lives, time and strength for Nigeria to prosper unconditionally. They saw the country on in its entirety as their Constituency, irrespective of political, tribal, regional and cultural disparities. At that time, Nigeria attained global Respect and recognition and back home, Nigeria citizens believed in all it’s course undiluted.
As Nigeria became more older today, its Nationhood is facing myriad of problems which more or less tailored towards disintegrating the country haphazardly, with varieties of divisive tendencies. Our Ethnic groups are drawing lines against one another, Religious beliefs are weaponised, Regional discrimination is gaining ground and unfortunately, political association is poisoned with contemptuous ingredients to perpetuate domination and misrepresentation. Thus, the country drifted into insecurity and uncertainty.
Against this background, the Nigeria Constitution section 22 and 39 have outlined pros and cons of Media practice in the country with a view to bridging the gap between the Government and the Governed. The media Organisations in the country are legally mandated to enlighten the general Public on the direction of Government policies, Programmes and ideologies. They are regarded as unifying forces and avenue for peace building. They are the shakers and movers of country’s political, economic and socio-cultural prosperity. Media Organisations in Nigeria have played a vital roles in our journey of over six decades.
Unfortunately, media Organisations in Nigeria today, despite strict supervision by regulatory agencies such as Nigeria Broadcasting Commission (NBC) and National Press Council (NPC) contributed adversely to our current state of uncertainty and insecurity. The Southern owned media Organisations often reported against the North and the Northern dominated media platforms underreported the South. The application of scatting languages became the order of the day against one another, ethical standards are thrown over boat.
The issue of streotype dominated the reporting techniques in cases of National security, the Banditry and Kidnapping is fulanised, Successionist movement is Igbonised, Cultism and Arm Robbery is Yorubanised, Insurgency is apportioned to Northern Nigeria, Corruption and other Organised crime have been politicised.
In the other hand, the foreign media Organisations are further taking advantage of the porous nature the country is faced with. Media organizations like BBC, VOA, RFI, DW and so on underreported contents of any news related to Nigeria. They have a specific mission and vision of tainting the image, reputation and good name the country nurtured for so long within its peers in Africa and the world. For instance, BBC will never reports the successes recorded by the Nigeria Troops in the fight against insurgency in the North East, neither VOA will ever reports the Nigeria Government efforts to tackle Banditry and Herdsman clashes in the North West/Central, nor the fight against the Succession movement championed by IPOB and other groups.
Foreign media Organisations always reported the positive aspects of their respective countries. When Former US President Donald Trump and his Supporters disputed the victory against their Republican Party by Democratic Party Candidate Joe Biden, they protested until they break into the Capitol and disrupted legislative session. So many lives were lost and the western media Organisations buried the News, as if all was well with American then. They always painted their countries white at the detriment of the Poor underdeveloped and third world nations. They have lured the mindset of the people to believed that the Western Countries infallible and advanced in all strata of endeavor.
In contrast, the foreign media Organisations had spare headed so many unethical campaign against Underdeveloped and third world countries (Nigeria inclusive) thereby undermining their efforts in building a genuine road maps for Political, Economic and socio-cultural Prosperity. They have destroyed the ladder of Social cohesion and orderliness in various Countries.
On a sad reality, the Nigeria Government owned media Organisations can not compete favourably with its peers globally. The NTA, Radio Nigeria, NAN, VON and all other media Organisations controlled by the Government are one thousand miles left behind when it comes to advancement. They are Glorified Media Organisations battling with avalanche of lacunars ranging from underfunding, lack of technical know-how, lack of vision and mission to help achieved the pure article of federalism in Nigeria. They are still analog in the midst of digitally oriented progression with outdated and obsolete equipments in use that can not be found anywhere in advanced countries of the world.
In Nigeria, the Government owned media Organisations can not even help the Government achieved it’s policies and Programmes, not to talk of favourable competition with the privately owned media Organisations.
On this note therefore, Government should as a matter of urgency draw a long media plan with a view to changing the narrative about Nigeria. Government must invest heavily on its media Organisations, there must be a NATIONAL MEDIA TRUST FUND to carter for Government owned media Organisations in the area of training and retraining of manpower, provision of state of the earth modern equipment, policies, Programmes and ideological development. The laws guiding media Organisations should be repealed to accommodates more Patriotic and Nationalistic clauses i.e Section 22 and 39.
Government must use media as its defensive weapon for the actualisation and propagation of Unity, Peaceful Coexistence, Harmony, Patriotism, Nationalism, Justice and Fairness in the country.
Abdulrahaman Ibrahim Kirfi, a Journalist, Public Affairs Analyst and Social Commentator Writes From Unguwar Gabas, Kirfin Sama, Kirfi LGA, Bauchi State.
kirfinsama@gmail.com
