THE MANY VERSIONS FROM THE KIDNAPPED JOURNALISTS

Dear Sir,

THE MANY VERSIONS FROM THE KIDNAPPED JOURNALISTS

In what appears to be a twist in the kidnap, release and the aftermath information of the incident involving the journalists, Wahab Oba, who was earlier quoted that in total his colleagues and himself lost N3million cash to the kidnappers, has now recanted.

Coming after being quizzed by SSS, he now claims he was misquoted, by his colleagues? It is now N1.6million cash and reading from Vanguard newspaper of Tuesday July 20, 2010, he said that their kidnappers had put calls across to people denying ever collecting such an amount from them. The confession of Wahab confirms that some journalists are in the habit of collecting money from corrupt government officials in exchange to always sing their praises thereby painting the innocent journalists black.

But come to think of it; they collected cash from Governor Akpabio who had earlier in his address to the NUJ’s concluded meeting in Uyo rated some journalists as quacks who must be booted out by the same NUJ. If Lagos NUJ chapter now confirming that it got N1.6million from Akpabio, it then means that the governor must have parted with about N58million in total to all the 36 State chapters considered. From information available he also gave the national executive officers of the NUJ unspecified amount of cash.

What does all that portend; unfortunately singing of Akpabio’s praises and this may also account for the award given to the governor by the NUJ. Could this be the tenet and practice of journalism? If it is, then one expects the rest journalists to keep quiet but if not, the masses wait to hear how they would react to the unfortunate incidents that are giving journalists bad names because there is no way you would collect money from a governor without giving him covering fire even if he is in the habit of doing wrong things. But the journalists should understand that they are the last hope of the masses.

Kayode Kelani, Plot 1243 Kenya Street, Abuja FCT.