Media Trust and the Burden of Trust

By

Kabiru Inuwa Tsakuwa

kabir.inuwa@gmail.com

 

 

“Finally, we wish to assure our readers that we will not shy away from publishing fair and balanced criticism of any government or individuals, which is in the nature of free exchange of ideas”

Management-Media Trust Limited.

 

Ordinarily, I wouldn’t have wasted my precious time in replying an article posted on Gamji.Com titled: ‘Media trust, Kano and the rest of us’ which is full of in exactitudes, fabrications and distorting of fact by one Audu Raji Saka; but for the fear that, the innocent reading public might have been misled by the balderdash into developing a negative perception about the guiding principles upon which our highly respected media trust newspapers based its journalistic practices!

 

I wouldn’t have also give a hoot to the caricatured piece designed purposely to tarnish the hard earned image of a reputable northern newspaper, knowing fully well the quality and capacity of the media Trust team to defend itself against a barrage of unsubstantiated criticism; but for the insinuation which appeared on paragraph eight(8) of the same article, to the effect that the media trust “caused the same kabiru Inuwa Tsakuwa to hide under pen name, Babangida dangora to reply Sule and attempted to ridicule the good people of Kano and their government”. This reasoning is, for want of a proper qualifying adjective totally childish and one laced with schizophrenic delusion. In other word, the argument is to say it mildly, completely incongruous with common sense!

 

But as a junk journalist in Kano, Saka has the inalienable right to do every thing possible to retain his current job in order to court more favours from his employers now that, new jobs in the unskilled category for hack writers is very hard to come by!

 

Now, to set the records straight, the opinion columns of all the newspapers including those on the media trust staple are absolutely free for readers who feel strongly about any issue which more often than not, are not necessarily shared by the newspapers publishers. It is a golden opportunity therefore, for the voiceless majority to air their point of views about contemporary issues as it affect them directly or indirectly without lets or hindrance and in accordance with the universally accepted right to freedom of expression.

 

The media trust management have already made it abundantly clear that, ‘as an independent, liberal newspaper dedicated to the pursuit of the common good and conscious of the fact that, it is a short-sighted business policy for a news paper to shut out a particular point of view for its own reason or due to pressure from powerful institutions and advertisers’. I wonder how Mr Saka got to know and therefore concluded with a sense of finality that, the highly principle and capable media trust team have engaged the service of an inconsequential Kabiru to do it the hatchet job in attacking the corrupt contraptions as represented by the Kano-ANPP Government!

 

Furthermore, as a bona fide Nigerian from Kano, what I wrote in my articles are entirely my own opinions and I challenged any body to go to Kano and verify the authenticity of my write-ups about the endemic poverty, squalour and want amidst the on-going squander mania, corruptions aggrandisement, misplaced priorities and wastage of resources on frivolities!  I challenged any body no matter how highly placed to debunk my views with concrete and air tight reasons that what I wrote were fabrications or mere fallacies!

 

Unfortunately, the problem of northern region which made it to perpetually lag behind others in the entire developments paradigm is the near universal vehemence of its leaders against robust intellectual discourse on contemporary happenings. The region is awash with many retrogressive and ultra-conservatives who are too resistant to positive changes and are ready to resort to anything fair or foul in order to maintain the ugly status quo  to suit their selfish end. In addition, the region is full of anti-intellectual who are supremely opposed to the sharing and cross fertilisations of positive ideas!

 

By narrating some isolated news reportage that were mostly done in error, Mr Saka wishes to frame the innocent minds of the teeming readers into believing the poisonous claims that the paper is practically against Kano. However, the conscientious people of Kano, the true sons of the soil knew exactly the current sorry happenings in the state and can not therefore buy into the warp reasoning as projected in his diatribe. The paper, matter-of fact has never been against Kano or any state of the federations for that matter and can not for any reason howsoever be accused of siding with the truth in accordance with its sacred motto-trust is a burden!

 

Finally, it is gratifying and heart warming indeed to note that the management of the media outfit have assured their teeming readers that they will not shy away from publishing fair and balanced criticisms of any government or individuals, which is in the nature of free exchange of ideas as quoted above. This (Alhamdu-lillahi), they have promised to continue in their free opinion column with out the least apology to the Saka of this world and his fellow co-travellers!!

 

 

Kabiru Inuwa Tsakuwa

Hausawa Bawo road (sabon Titi),

Zoo Road, Kano