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Rumble in Kano Over Car Gifts By Saka Raji Audu
Journalism is all about objectivity, and to go to equity, one must go with clean hands. The title as refers above is nothing but a fabricated fantastic story merely carried to 'rubbish' the good works of the people's governor. Gift is gift no matter who it is given and what amount of quantity that is given. But the main thing is the intention for that gift.
To begin from the beginning, the objectivity of the two correspondents of the Weekly Trust that reported the above story is much in doubt. To treat a man like a man is not kindness but a natural right. The people's governor discovered the natural gift and potentials of the cars beneficiaries as helpful to his administration and any other administration for that matter and simply encouraged them. The reward of hard work spurs one to greater achievement. Thus, the beneficiaries of the car gift are not in isolation.
One can recalled that some time in the recent past, such encouragement was also made to the Nigeria police and Immigration services to make them more effective and all the efforts of the beneficiaries culminated in the smooth and successful running of the present state administration. There is no doubt therefore that hooliganism, civil strive, insecurity and the likes are reduced to the bearable minimum.
To oppose the car gift is to shy away from encouraging truth and accepting it. As I have said earlier, when one talks of equity, one's hands should be clean. The two reporters of that concocted story about the car gift have at various times abused the profession of journalism by being unethically biased. We shall not be in a hurry to forget that in the wake of the second political dispensation, one of the reporters, Jaafar Jaafar had baselessly accused the state government in the now deserted "Desert Herald" that the governor 'laundered' the state money into many foreign accounts, which till date, could not be substantiated with documents, proofs or witnesses. This in itself is a journalistic flaw.
How can a reporter of public opinion and supposedly mirror of the society be leading people into lies with his personal imagination without proper investigation? As the watch dog of the society, which role journalism plays does not entail character assassination, dubious reporting and criminal tendency to paint white black. It is always good to give honour to who honour is due so that at one's time in honour, one will be rewarded with honour.
As for the second
reporter, Hassan A. Karofi who is supposed to be a gentleman radical
journalist seems to be rascal in journalism and certainly will not pay him
off. Some time in the past (14th August 2008 on the front page
of the Daily Trust), Karofi had raised alarm that Kano state
officials embezzled
One should think that it is only a sponsored illiterate and uneducated citizen that can make such accusations without objectively finding documents to substantiate it. This lives in the mind of objective citizens of this great country to think that our media axis, especially some print media are only writing for the sake of just trying desperately to remain in the business, particularly such ambitious reporters who cannot observe things before writing would only be using available and cheap channel to unleash their imaginary falsehood.
The publication on page 8 of Weekly Trust of September 13, 2008 with the above caption is a clear portrayal of personal animosity and hatred to the state governor as exhibited by the two reporters of the watery story. They have rarely come again to display open confrontation to the government of Shekarau for a good deed. One begins to wonder if the opinions were theirs. Perhaps, it is another person's opinion coming from them and this is why the good people of Kano begin to wonder if the opinions were not politically motivated. How can the reporters call it a rumble in Kano over the car gifts when in all their interviews, only the state publicity secretary of the major opposition party, Alhaji Muntari Ishak opposed the gesture. What makes it a rumble then? The emir, District heads, lawmakers appreciate the gifts and even the police and immigration are also in euphoria over the appreciation. So, what makes the car gifts wrong?
Even, the Malam's predecessor had politically appreciated the monarchs in one way or the other. For instance, the sweat of the erudite former governor of the state, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar Rimi in the Kano State Investment Property (KSIP) house was at the-nick- of time renamed "Gidan Ado Bayero" simply to curry favour from the traditional ruler. I believe that it did not make rumble in any way. Likewise, Malam's car gifts were actually in the right direction. Thus, who ever forsake the activities and the fatherly guidance of the traditional stool is not worthy to be a good child. The gifts were not meant for luxury but to enhance and encourage their paternal support.
In reference to the area of water, this is also being handled by the governor which every citizen in Kano is seeing, and in not too long a time, the problem of water will be a thing of past by the grace of God. By the way, Malam is not the first governor of the state. At one stage or the other, the governors come on stage, play their role as far as water problem is concerned and leave the stage. For no constant water supply, Malam is not to be held responsible. Same goes with health, education, industry and other areas of infrastructural needs.
There is one more correction that should be made in the above captioned story. It is tragically unbelievable that the reporters informed us that the car gift gesture was jointly sponsored by the state government and the 44 local government councils. Yet, the reporters contradict themselves in the same story when they insinuated that the cars were bought with the interest (usury), which the governor had said was kept in a separate account. Where the reporters gathered this insinuation from was not disclosed because it is not true. But, to make caricature of the car gifts to the traditional rulers and law makers and by extension ridicule the beneficiaries, the reporters un-authoritatively and mischievously adduced that the cars were bought with usury, which is forbidden in Islam. This journalistic junk is unfortunate and highly regretted.
The two reporters also stated towards the end of their adulterated report that the people of Kano have expressed displeasure with the gifts and that the major opposition parties in almost a unanimous tone, said the gifts were not done in the interest of the people, as if only the governor and our revered emir are on their own. Unfortunately however, the reporters deliberately failed to mention one particular party or other persons in the state that condemned the car gift apart from Muntari Ishak, the state secretary of the major opposition party. If this is the case, and which I believe it is, how do the two reporters think that the readers would take them serious in whatever they report because they are always using the slightest opportunity to vent their personal vendetta and animosity against the governor and the traditional rulers led by the emir? I think if one does not have objective report to dish out to the people, one is better advised to stay away until one has one, and allow those that have the truth in their messages and news to feed the people.
Finally, we thank God that 2011 is fast approaching the corner. Politicians are warming up again and every one of them will always like his ambition to be blessed by the royal fathers. The Kano emirate council is now in better position to sift the grain from the chaff, in view of whoever that is now beating his chest against the car gifts offered to its members. I should end this piece with words of caution especially for the two reporters that the last trick of a devil is to pretend to be dead.
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