Akpabio: A friend or foe?

By Akpadiagha Etukakpan

Recently, Chief Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State has been in the eyes of the storm as a result of what some section of the media have tagged his administration’s anti-journalists posture. However,
it was Mark Twain who said that while falsehood travels halfway round the world, truth may just be putting on its shoes! To a few who do not know Akpabio, therefore, recent false and malicious reports against the governor may present him as a villain who is out to destroy journalists in the state.

This to my mind is not only too far from the truth but is also a great injustice to a man that has not only contributed immensely to the development of the profession in the state, but has made the welfare of journalists a top priority right from his days a the chief executive of a Lagos based telecommunications outfit, through to the entire years he spent as commissioner in the state to the present as the Governor of Akwa Ibom State.

The cordial relationship Akpabio has enjoyed with journalists in the state played a fundamental role in his retaining the PDP governorship ticket, even when the powers-that-were in the state then amassed avalanche of arsenals against him. So far, Akpabio has not failed to reciprocate this goodwill in words and actions. Soon after he emerged as the governor of Akwa Ibom State, through the popular will of the people and the abundant grace of God, journalists in the state have enjoyed immense support from him.

Not the type to brag about all the assistances he gives to people, Akpabio never wanted his numerous financial help to journalists reported. But a source close to the Governor confided in some journalists that the man has actually helped over six journalists to pay house rents. He was also said to have given money to about four journalists to go for operation. There is one said to be suffering diabetes and the governor recently sent an appreciable amount of money to him, to enable him sort his health problems.

Very recently, at an interactive session, the governor disclosed that he had just approved some money for a journalist who had an accident a few years back to go for a surgical operation to correct his bone plate. In addition, Gov Akpabio was recently reported to have presented an 18-seater bus to the state’s council of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), something the body had been praying but never got it actualised for many years! At the moment, to ease the working conditions of the correspondents in the state, who have to send their stories through business centres, he facilitated the establishment of automated newsroom, with ultra modern communication equipment and today journalists in the state have access to free internet facilities round the clock where they can file their stories without inhibition.

This is beside his sustenance of payment of a monthly transport allowance to all the journalists in the state. It is on record that Akpabio, in demonstration of his wish to stay close to the journalists, has introduced a monthly media chat with journalists to keep them abreast with government policies and clear the air on issues affecting the state. Trying to now denigrate Akpabio in the guise of activism of what ever sort, without recourse to the facts on ground is not only uncharitable but will also not help in the development of journalism as a profession. Practitioners of the profession are the conscience of the nation and the watch dog of the society.

Like Prophet Ezekiel in the Bible, they have a divine mandate to watch over the nation and warn the people of the consequences of evil. However when the conscience dies and the watchman decides to abdicate his responsibility and become a part of the evil mechanism, then the nation suffers. A relatively new tabloid, Fresh Fact promoted a news item on its cover page some two weeks ago which it claimed that it had uncovered a 5.5 billion naira fraud involving the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Chief Godswill Akpabio and a former member of the House of Representative, C.N. Ukachukwa. It is then surprising that despite the challenging recently thrown at the paper by the governor to publish the full content of the the said story for the benefit of the reading public, the story is yet to come.

That clearly shows that whoever was behind it was out to smear a white lamb with tar! Akpabio may not be a saint, but it sounds stupid to imagine that a governor, who budget has not even been passed; a governor whose entire housing budget is not up to N5.5 billion would be involved in such a “housing scam”! Recently, the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr Usoro I. Usoro was quoted as saying that the state does not even yet engaged in any housing scheme; not to mention a N5.5billion worth of a housing scheme.

In trying to portray Akpabio as evil, those who instigated the story purely for political animosity, failed to inform the public that Akpabio knew nothing about the arrests of either the vendor or a journalist. In fact, it was reported in Punch that the governor, on learning of the arrest of the vendor, Essien Ewoh, intervened immediately and ensured that the man did not spend up to two hours in prison custody. Surprisingly, too, while a campaign was on that Akpabio was hounding Aniefiok Macaulay, a journalist with Fresh Facts, the fellow was among the about 150 journalists having lunch with the governor on that same day.

Indeed, while government harassment of journalists, where it happens, must be roundly condemned, certain fundamental issues have to be addressed to enhance a cordial government / media relationship. Is blackmail an integral part of the journalism profession? Does the profession promote the spread of falsehood? Does being a journalist convey on one the license to malign the character of others especially those in government? How can the regulatory body of the profession promote adherence to professional ethics by its members? To the best of my knowledge, objectivity is fundamental in news reporting, every journalist knows that, though one may have his personal views on certain issues, in dealing with the publics one has to attain relative objectivity and present the facts as it were.

It is however unfortunate that some journalists have chosen to dump this cardinal ethic of journalism and rather resort to the use of blackmail to achieve their selfish interest as the are easy tools in the hands of disgruntled elements who use them for their selfish gains. The 5.5 billion naira story as promised by Fresh Fact is one which I, like most Nigerians wait eagerly to read , the management of the tabloid need to prove to the world that the story was not done in bad taste but in the interest of Nigerians. I have waited patiently for every edition but up till today, the story has not appeared. I am rightly informed that Akpabio has challenged the management of the paper to go ahead and publish the details of the story as he is eagerly waiting to read it. However I will not be disappointed if at the end of the day, the paper does not live up to its promo.

From all indication the promo was just an antic by mischief makers to get the governor’s attention after all why serve a promo when the entire story will not only promote the paper but will make it stand out in the campaign against corruption in high places. History and experience has shown that the media in Nigeria has played a very vital role in the fight against social ills in the society. Newswatch magazine did not need a promo to expose the double face of Babangida’s administration and the Gloria Okon scandal that is alleged to have cost Dele Giwa his life. The News magazine did not need a news promo to nail Salisu Buhari, one time Speaker of the House of Representatives in the Toronto certificate scandal, neither did Tell magazine in the Evans-Evan scandal.

The regulatory body in charge of media practice in Nigeria will need to enforce adherence to the ethics of the profession. It is important also for those who are in the habit of writing stories based on false information to note that journalism does not vest on us the power to injure the characters of others. Our stories should be based on incontrovertible facts which we should be ready to back up when called upon. Those in government are human too and subject to the same feeling like us. And to the agents of government the very foundation of Nigeria is built on the rule of law and as sure where there is the feeling that our rights are infringed upon, the best thing for us to do is resort to the instrumentality of the law.

Etukakpan, a journalist, sent this piece from Eket