By Ifeanyi Chijioke
September 06, 2016
The practice of journalism in Nigeria is currently at the point its seems like a kid game. Recently Vanguard Newspaper put nails in the coffin of the dead Nigerian press and did more damage to their media organisations when it chooses to spread false news that IPOB under the leadership of Nnamdi Kanu is in crisis and has sprinter groups.
They knew it was all false but greed and willingness to throw professionalism to the dogs and decide to please the illiterate Buhari; they won't mind taken a bribe to make the demand of the enemies of IPOB and Nnamdi Kanu go through. But little did they know that formidable IPOB media platform is ready to counter them.
I have firmly held that REIPOB is a name formed and managed by Vanguard Newspaper; if this is not the case, why will Vanguard allow its image to tarnished because of a hoax group?
Except for Henry Okah who is working relentlessly with the Nigerian government for his release from prison, every other name Vanguard associated to REIPOB who are from Biafra has vehemently rebuked them. While this is the situation, Vanguard has not found it essential to back out or tell Buhari that the entire process is messed up. It is adamant that it shall eventually finish the contract and pocket the money but what is inevitable is the fact that by the end of this contract, Vanguard might find it hard to gain the trust of people, their reputations will be in ruined and people's confidence in them gone.
Vanguard is mocked today and more disgracefully seen as quack journalists that do not know the duty of journalism in building free and safe society. They are still practicing old type of journalism devoid of investigation.
In a modern journalism, an investigation is the key aspect of it; you don’t sit in your office and print every gossip that you come across. You don’t take or accept any press release that would threaten your integrity and question your reputation. It would only destroy you and in a situation, there are opposing media; you are finished, and your reputation will be in ruined.
What Vanguard has shown is that one can wake up tomorrow and feed the public lies and mislead the people merely because they are media in Nigeria. Mainstream media often covers its track or reserve a reason to fight off wrong reports that could jeopardise or take away the trust the public has on it. Like a wayward girl, Vanguard has abused everything journalism represent.
When Vanguard published a news article that REIPOB is a faction of Emma Powerful, that he will henceforth be the spokesperson for the group. Emma Powerful quickly released a counter press statement; kind of caveat emptor. He stated that he has never met Vanguard management or its REIPOB even through a third party; further noted that he remained loyal to IPOB under Radio Biafra and made it clear that IPOB has no issue neither is there any splinter group.
While I questioned the correctness of a nation having a splinter; it is, therefore, crucial to remind Vanguard that it has failed in every aspect of journalism. They threw investigative journalism into the wind and allowed it to drift away beyond reach; it would be reasonable to conclude that whatsoever that is going on via REIPOB is supported, managed and orchestrated by Vanguard newspaper.
Indigenous People of Biafra have no right and are not protected by law in Nigeria epitomised by the violent against Nnamdi Kanu and Biafrans in general; therefore to file a lawsuit against Vanguard will be a waste of time and fund because there is no rule of law in Nigeria.
Corruption has eaten down to the taproot of Nigeria, and it affected everything even to the most sacred institution in Nigeria. While Nigeria is fantastically corrupt; its media are professionally unethical too.
As Emma Powerful has denied Vanguard, I wonder who else they will use his name? Like the people they deceitfully associate their name with their fake factions the more people disassociate from Vanguard; what exactly will Vanguard do? Will they back down and tell FG that they cannot continue amidst damaged reputation? Will they inform their REIPOB colleagues that the game of Vanguard doing the dirty job has ended or would they extend the mockery of journalism and keep floating news to mislead the society intentionally?
In Nigeria, even a mainstream media does not know what integrity and reputation are all about in journalism; this is why Vanguard could go the length of conspiring with Buhari to float REIPOB, with an aim to market it to the public.
Journalism in Nigeria is officially about misleading the society, Chai!
This contraption has done more harm to everything they lay a hand on.
Ifeanyi Chijioke writes for BiafraPost
Editor/Publisher: EmmaNnaji
For Biafra Reporters
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