ENOUGH IS ENOUGH: WHEN BROADCASTERS BECOME THE STORY
When television anchors abandon professionalism for provocation, it becomes the duty of the station’s management to call them to order. But when that failure becomes routine, the National Broadcasting Commission must step in. What can be excused from a citizen’s podcast cannot, and must not, be tolerated from a licensed national broadcaster.
This madness must stop. Arise TV and its anchor, Rufai, have crossed too many lines. They cannot continue to constitute themselves into self-appointed prosecutors, judges, and enemies of the state under the guise of journalism. There is a difference between questioning power and attacking the very idea of order.
The supervising Ministry of Information must not remain a bystander while citizens invited in good faith are subjected to insult, rudeness, partisan aggression, and empty intellectual showmanship. The media must enlighten, not incite. It must inform, not inflame.
Let it be clear: freedom of expression is not freedom to abuse. Regulation is not repression it is the defence of sanity and national interest. The time has come to draw the line.
Otunba Segun Showunmi
The Alternative Movement.
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Oga,
Here is your statement: “while citizens invited in good faith are subjected to insult, rudeness, partisan aggression, and empty intellectual showmanship.”
This wasn’t a showmanship. The Minister was equally rude on public TV. In his mind, no one else knows jack about construction. There is definite or estimated cost per kilometer for this project,though there are unforseen fluidy factors, which Mr Rufai acknowledged. The Minister refused to answer. He called Mr Rufai ‘s questions ‘elementary’ , and argued over him, called the questions nonsensical, and claimed pseudo professorship on public TV .That was very rude.
How did the Minister arrive at the budgeted cost of the project by a 100 kilometer?
Given other allowances, what experience does the Minister draw from the cost per kilometer from previous projects? Wouldn’t this helped? You don’t stonewall questions of public accountability and expect to be credible and respected in the public space.
Nigerians like you do us all a great disservice by defending public fraud and lack of accountability. For crying out loud, these public funds,and on whose payroll are on?
Dr Emmarex Okhakhu