The Internet

The Internet: A Tool for Positive Politicking

Tayo Agunbiade

Unarguably the internet is a most fascinating innovation of man that has brought information to our fingertips. The world of the internet possesses a whole exciting platform of information on virtually any subject. In its latest edition The Economist magazine attributed the decline in sales of newspapers in some parts of Europe and America to the popularity of the internet. As with all things there has been concern about the contents on the internet. For instance race hate literature being propagated by far right groups or the various brands of extremism thrown at us by religious fanatics. Likewise it has tons of information that can propel one forward in life is available at the click of a button. The virtual domain has become the home to all kinds of information from the quirky to the serious. One isn’t sure who police’s the internet to check for excesses and from all indications it appears that it may be used as a tool to say just about anything including what borders on verbal abuse, blackmail and outright insults.

An example of this sort of behaviour comes from an online publishing outfit known as elendureports. No-one quarrels with the role of journalists as the watchdogs of society. Indeed the bravery and courage displayed by journalists to bring accurate reports and information to the general public is very commendable and many have lost their lives in the pursuance of truth. A lot of readers/ viewers are hardly aware of the behind the scene efforts being put in to ensure that there is no disruption in the flow of their favourite newspapers or TV programmes.

However standing up for the truth in the name of journalism should be done in a just and fair manner and certainly not from a jaundiced perspective. Bias begins to seep through when so-called campaigners bluntly refuse to see and interpret the truth as it stands but prefers to stand the truth on its head.

The unrelenting pursuit of Governor of Ogun State Otunba Gbenga Daniel and his family by elendureports seems a bit odd to say the least. This is all the more so especially when the website says that it does not publish rejoinders. And when it does publish the other sides it takes things out of context. There are two sides to every story and even the courts of the land recognise this as a fundamental human right and do everything in its power to avoid a miscarriage of justice. When an outfit makes an allegation against an individual but says it does not recognise any rejoinders from the same individual then its time for a discerning public to take a closer look. That stance in itself suggests that there is another agenda driving the continuous pretence to promote truth. The fundamental question to ask is what really is the motive behind all this? Is it part of a plot to tarnish the image of a Governor who is generally acknowledged to be one of the shining examples of good governance in Nigeria ? He was recently adjudged the “Most Productive Governor in Nigeria ” by the Department of Psychology, University of Ibadan which by the way is the premier university in the country.

The facts on the table and as confirmed by Governor Daniel are that he is indeed the owner of the property elendureports has written about. He has also voluntarily disclosed that he bought other properties prior to his becoming a public office holder. It is a well known fact that Governor Daniel had made a name for himself in the corporate world before deciding to apply his experiences to governance and public stewardship.

Unfortunately elendureports has taken this information and twisted it around in an attempt to deliberately mislead the general public. It appears to be seeking to take advantage of a society’s psyche which has over the years been bruised and battered by an array of scandals and to mischievously present it with yet another “case”. These actions clearly smack of malice, spite and unwholesomeness.

One of the tools in the hands of a political consultant is to tear ferociously at a client’s opponent in whatever conceivable manner. Peddling of falsehoods, distorting the truth, gnawing up fiction and spitting it out as facts are just some of the ways in which people with unhealthy motives go about seeking to destroy. The variety of ruthless approaches employed to diminish the character of an opponent could be sometimes be tantamount to the consultant having made a Faustian deal.

The former US president Bill Clinton found himself under heavy artillery over the issue of whether he inhaled on a roll of Indian hemp or not, presidential candidate John Kerry suffered a similar fate when doubt was being cast on his war records. Political consultants go to any lengths to dish up the dirt and make the sometimes murky world of politics even murkier. This could possibly be a reason why some people are afraid of delving into the whole world of politics. Those who have been brave enough to wade through can sometimes find themselves getting the short end of the stick.

Does the Nigerian polity already heaving under the weight of violence and several cases of murder need more tension piled on by the likes of elendureports? One understands that the original motives for the creation of the website were noble. But the consistent attack on Governor Daniel gives the impression that elendureports is interested in something other than investigative journalism. The proprietor of the website may have detracted from the noble ideal originally planned. Any talk about moral crusades now appears to be some distant fairy concept. At least this is what recent behavioural patterns coming from the online publisher point at.

The internet can be put to extremely good use as a tool for empowerment and enlightenment. Research and information do-gooders for whatever reason should not allow themselves to be enticed by promises of rewards and allow themselves to get sucked into shadowy, malicious political games.

There are several Nigerian–run websites which focus on positive things and serve as avenues of useful information to the international community. The dubious practice of using the internet to conduct smear campaigns against public office holders all the name of investigative journalism should be discouraged. Having been presented with both sides of the issues, the members of the public should be left well alone to make up their minds and not be subjected to a constant barrage of innuendos, veiled threats etc under the guise of a moral crusade.