The Nigerian Media and the Fear of the Bankrollers

By Oluwaseyi Oduyela

For me, what Femi Fani-Kayode said did not bother me, what bothered me and saddened me was how the reporter apologized. Since I watched the video, that statement, “sorry sir” kept playing in my head every time friends bring up the issue with me for discussion.

I am more concerned and saddened that the Daily Trust reporter apologized. I kept asking myself why the reporter apologized? Did he think he made a mistake? Was he sent to ask the question? Was he not sure of himself? Did he not do his homework well? Was it a problem of low self-esteem? Or what was he thinking?

There have been debates over the appropriateness of the reporter’s question. While some argued that the line of questioning was inappropriate because FFK was a former presidential adviser and minister, no one could bankroll him. Some argued that the question was appropriate. The fact that he was a former presidential adviser and a minister does not mean he cannot be bankrolled.

All these were outside of what the person who asked the question meant when he asked the question.

While I respect the views of those who considered the question inappropriate, I want to maintain that the reporter’s question was appropriate. The reaction of the alleged “bankrollee” (my coinage) was stupidly appropriate. It would have been fun if the reporter had insisted that the man answer the question even after the flow of abuse.

While I thought why the reporter had to tender an apology, I began to think of some the things I had experienced and seen as a reporter. 

It is effortless to blame the reporter for apologizing. Still, when we consider the state of Nigerian media today, we can understand why.

So, while people think that the greatest threat to press in Nigeria is government censorship, I say, no. Still, the greatest threat to media censorship is the economy. He that pays the piper dictates the tune.

I have also watched with shock how journalists address all these public officers- “Hon minister sir” “Your excellency sir” and I heard the lame duck Health Minister threatening reporters not to ask him further questions about the 15 Chinese and till now no answer on them. It seems Nigerians worship status and that has had effects on how to handle these people during interviews. These public officers are supposed to fear and respect the press and not the other way around.

The press in Nigeria today isn’t free because of the threat of government clampdown but because of who owns it and who owns who owns it.

During the military rule era, the media played a critical role in championing the cause of ordinary Nigerians. And many of them paid with their lives and those who were lucky only went to jail. The significant role of the press, and the financial help of some those with money then, opened the eyes of potential public officer holders to the power of the media. And knowing that owning the press or owning those who own it provides some security from the press scrutiny. As a result, the press became a lucrative arena.

What we see today isn’t new. It did not just start yesterday, last week, last year or three years ago. It has been happening for more than 20 years. And it’s just coming becoming public now that the press has been sadly inducted into the hall fame of corruption in Nigeria.

Editors and owners of the media sell their reporters to politicians, and they make these reporters appear like beggars and gave the politicians the audacity to treat them with disdain and utmost disrespect.

I remember a story my late good friend and colleague Chucks Ehirim told me. Chuks was the Enugu Correspondent for the News magazine then. According to him, the then military governor of Enugu state called a press conference. At the press conference, he asked for Chuks. Chuks said he stood up and the military governor brought out the manuscript of the story he sent to Lagos, apparently negative about the governor. The man showed it to everyone and said, “Is this not what you wrote about me and sent to Lagos?” How did the military governor get the manuscript? I won’t go into that.

What do you think will happen when editors of newspapers and magazines go cap in hand to beg politicians for money to pay their employee’s salaries? It is not only crossing the line; it is partaking in the looting of the state’s treasury. When our job is to ask questions, act as watchdogs, but the dog is now chewing the bone, it is supposed to guard or watch.

I have mentioned this many times, and I will repeat it because it is a case study and very relevant to what is happening. Friday Olokor is a friend and colleague. He was covering aviation, and there was a report on Belview Airline. Belview then was notorious for hiring foreigners as pilot and breaking and breaching contracts leading to so many court cases.  Belview had succeeded in buying out the story, but Friday Olokor refused to be bought. He insisted he would write the story. As Friday entering the office, Belview PRO was leaving, and she mocked Friday Olokor. Friday sat to write the story and his editor told him not to bother because it won’t be published.

Some governors’ offices specifically ask for individual reporters and call for replacement of some reporters because of “negative” stories.

There are many FFKs out there. The governor of Ebonyi early this year threatened a journalist for reporting the truth about his state, and we just let it slide after blasting him on the social media.

The Nigeria Guild of Editors, the Nigeria Union of Journalists, the National Association of Women Journalists have not come out on how to address these issues. We talk about it and abuse these reporters, and it ends there.

In 2001 January, I was on the tour of the Nigerian Navy locations as the defence reporter for Tempo. During the press conference, I confronted Admiral Victor Ombu. I asked him to respond to the allegation that Vice Admiral Peter Ebaleme used the Navy dockyard to torture civilians who stole plastic chairs from David Oyedepo’s church. Then, Ebaleme was the Chief of Naval Plans, second to the Chief of Naval Staff and a member of Winners Chapel. I asked if the Navy had become an extension of Winners Chapel under Ombu’s watch. He did not insult me but deflected the question. In 2000 or so, I was writing a piece on General Malu, the then Chief of Army Staff.

It was an expose and the then Army Spokesman, now Retired Major General Felix Chukwuma came to Tempo’s office to kill the story. I was out of office, Mr Alaketu, my editor, made sure the article was published. It was titled “How Malu Runs the Army” published August 9, 2000, in Tempo. I met Malu the following year, January 2001, at a press conference. That was our first meeting in person. When I introduced myself, he smiled and said he thought ghostwriter wrote the article. At that press conference, I asked six out of about ten questions that day. The Tempo was the only news organization that published the interview titled “We shall Resist the Americans.” It was published around March 2001, and Malu was retired in April. I went to attend his passing out parade. I attempted again to interview him, and his aide asked if I haven’t done enough damage. Still, General ignored his aide and answered us.

I am fortunate to have worked under Gbenga Alaketu. An editor of editors. He worked diligently and will do work; he led us well and will never compromise. When I was at Anchor Newspaper, I had another great editor, Osita Nwajah, another thoroughbred journalist. A professional reporter and a mentor. Alaketu and Nwajah taught me well and led well. I know we still great editors like that around, but do we have owners like that?

When and if you refuse to take bribe from politicians, your editor will and that ends your effort in publishing the truth. As a result, it becomes a case of if you can’t beat them, join them.

As it is, you don’t know who owns any media house now. It is either the owner is a friend of someone in government or that someone in government is bankrolling the said owner or using a journalist as a front.

So, how can we save the media? That’s a trillion-dollar question.