INTERVIEW: Why The Media Must Report The Feelings of The Masses, by Jide Johnson

A radical but intellectual media tutor, JIDE JOHNSON is a former Head of Mass Communication Department and now the Deputy Rector of the prestigious Nigerian Institute of Journalism, NIJ, Lagos. In this exclusive interview with Security Monitor’s editor, Wale Abideen, and Lagos Correspondent Johnkennedy Anuma, Jay Jay as he’s fondly called by his students clears the air on the absence of a president in a presidential system of government like Nigeria. He particularly described the letter written by Presdient Muhammadu Buhari to the National Assembly during his medical holiday as good development that means Nigeria is advancing. The mass communication lecturer however chides the media for derailing from the core objectives of the profession hence the reason why media “gets it wrong” these days….

PRESIDENT MUHAMADU BUHARI IS SAID TO BE GOING ON ANOTHER MEDICAL VACATION IN ABROAD. DOES PRESIDENT’S ABSENCE HAS ANY NEGATIVE EFFECT ON GOVERNANCE IN NIGERIA?

There is no vacuum in the presidency. Government does not exist on vacuum. We are operating a presidential system of government, where the president and the vice president are running on a joint ticket. The presidency is a joint responsibility. So, why are we making a lot of noise about the absence of the president? The last time, Mr. president did what is constitutional correct by writing the National Assembly that he was embarking on a vacation and that while he is away , the vice president will be performing the role of the president. There is nothing like acting president, it is just vice president performing the role of the president. It is like when you put your spare tire in your car, do you still call it spare tyre. In this case,Yemi Osinbajo is operating in office of the president at this point in time by the virtue of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as the president. So there is no danger for Nigeria. In actual sense, it shows that we are getting things better, rather than what we saw in 2010 during the Yaradua/Jonathan saga and now 7 years after, we see the president happily and willingly handing over power to his vice while travelling abroad. Everything is working out properly no need for the dust we are raising about the president absence.

PEOPLE ARE OF THE OPINION THAT, GIVING THE ETHNIC DICHOTOMY BETWEEN THE NORTH AND THE SOUTH, AND ETHNICITY WHICH HAS BEEN ONE OF THE HALLMARKS OF NIGERIA’S POLITICS, MANY SAY VICE PRESIDENT OSINBAJO MAY NOT HAVE THE COURAGE TO MAKE SOME VERY IMPORTANT DECISION, INFACT SOME PEOPLE CITE HIS INDECISION OVER XENOPHOBIC ATTACK ON NIGERIANS IN SOUTH AFRICA AS AS A SIGN OF LACK OF POLITICAL POWER(cuts in)

Is this the first time Nigerians will be attacked in South Africa? You see there is different type of narratives that has been given to politics and it seems like politics of using religion, using racial divide, using tribe and using class system is one of the narratives of the media. Let me digress a bit, Donald Trump came up with his travel ban and named some certain nations and look at the way media reported it, they branded the countries affected by the ban as Muslim dominated countries and also when Trump nominated someone to replace his labor secretary, do you know what the media reported, they reported that Donald has nominated the first Hispanic member to his cabinet. Why do you have to identify someone by the virtue of his religion, race, tribe or ethnicity? It is the media that is doing this. Majority of the people in the rural areas don’t care where the president comes from, whether he is from Daura, Borno, Onitsha, Ogbomosho, Southern Kaduna, Ilesha or even Cameroun, they don’t care. You know those that cares, it is the elites and in most cases, the media represents the views of the elites and not that of the masses which they ought to represent. For the first time the media got it all wrong in the American election, because American media and that of the whole world were sampling and representing the views of the elites and not the views of the common man which is the masses. I think the attempt by the media to remove the real objectives of the media profession which is communicating the views and feelings of the mass has made the media to lose its relevance and purpose. Does Osinbajo have the power to do what he wants to do, yes he does. The instrument is there. It is now left for him to act. Going back to the xenophobic attack on Nigerians in South Africa, you see I have asked this question before, what is the value of the life of a Nigerian, not with this present administration, but previous administrations. There was a case of Nigerians deported from Libya and they gave unpalatable account of how they were treated in Libya. What did the Nigerian government do about it? It will not be the first and not the last time Nigerians will be brutalized and have their human rights abused in foreign lands until we have a policy trust that places Nigerians first. That whatever affects a single Nigerian affects the totality of Nigeria image and government should deal mercilessly with any country that maltreats Nigerian citizens living in their country. Imagine what is happening to Nigerians in South Africa has happened to an American citizen, what do you think would have happened. Imagine a fine was imposed on MTN, the South African president Jacob Zuma hurriedly came down to Nigeria because of South African business interest not for a killed citizen of South Africa. That is how it should be. A government must care for its citizens and always ready and willing to defend them even in another country. If president Zuma can come to Nigerian just to defend a South African business. Imagine what he would have done if a South African was killed in Nigeria. That is to show you how much they care about whatever affect their people. This crazy xenophobic attack happened under former president Goodluck Jonathan what did he say, we are our brothers keepers and nothing happened. We need to place high value on our citizens. Had it been that South Africans were dealt with decisively this wouldn’t have repeated again.

WHAT DO YOU ADVICE THE GOVERNMENT TO DO TO STOP THE XENOPHOBIC ATTACKS OF NIGERIANS IN SOUTH AFRICA

This has been an issue not properly and decisively addressed and when issues are not properly addressed it leads to crises and when crises are not properly addressed it leads to war. At diplomatic level the ambassador of Nigeria to South Africa should have been recalled to ask him questions about the situation and also the South African ambassador should have also been invited and asked some question. They must have felt our anger and dissatisfaction with the issue and given them 24 hours to communicate to his president of our displeasure. Also the Nigerian President ought to have called his South African counterpart to tell him to call his people to other to avoid a reprisal attack by Nigerians on South African citizens living in Nigeria. I think the foreign ministry of South Africa and Nigeria should have issued a joint statement condemning the attack. Then if all these fail Nigeria has no choice than to go into South Africa to protect its citizens and bring them back safely to Nigeria and have those that is attacking them punished by international law

Recently, some Nigerian youths stormed MTN office in Abuja to protest against the attack of Nigerians in South Africa. The response of leaders was that “ We are all Africans, which means we are brothers and we need to work together as brothers, we need to highlight our areas of differences and look for a friendly and brotherly way to settle those differences”. The meetings of ambassador to ambassador, president to president can address this issue of xenophobic attacks and lay this ugly issue to rest.This issue is adversely affecting Nigerian and South Africa relations. I must point out this real quick. Nigeria is not the cause of South Africa’s problems. I think Nigeria played a tremendous role in the growth and development of South Africa especially during the apartheid era.

RECENTLY THERE HAS BEEN FEARS AMONG NIGERIANS FROM THE NORTH THAT INCASE OF THE DEMISE OF MR PRESIDENT, THAT THE SOUTH MIGHT HIJACK POWER FROM THE NORTH, JUST LIKE THE SCENARIO DURING THE YARADUA / JONATHAN ERA. EVEN A MUSLIM CLERIC ACCUSED THE SOUTH OF POISOINING THE PRESIDENT AND PLOTTING TO KILL HIM. DO YOU THINK THAT IF THE PRESIDENT DIES, IT MIGHT CAUSE A POLITICAL CRISES?

First and foremost the president will not die and we cannot go through that frustrating experience we went through in 2010 again. However, you painted a scenario. You see it is very dangerous because in our clime we fuse religion into politics. It is very dangerous because religion has nothing to do with logic or rationalism. Religion only deals with your belief system, it does not follow logic. Religion works purely on sentiments. This is very simple. The president was on vacation and he transmitted a letter to the national assembly informing them of his absence and also told them that in his absence, his vice will function as president. If president comes back today he will definitely continue nobody will stop him. So this issue of South hijacking power is much uncalled for. Anybody saying that is just causing unnecessary tension and over heating up the polity in an unhealthy way. With due respect to the Islamic cleric in Kastina, that is alleging that the president has been poisoned, first who poisoned him? President Buhari chose his own house hold staff by himself. Because it is not a political decision, it is a personal decision. The president chooses who cooks for him and most of his cooks are his trusted relatives. Religion will not allow you to ask that question. How is it possible to poison the president? The president cannot just eat anything or anyhow. The core of his house hold and kitchen staff are his people from the north, so if someone is assuming that the president was poisoned, poisoned by who by people from the north who work in his kitchen and who are closes to him or people from the south. So the rationality or the logic behind the preaching or teaching of the said cleric is very controversial and he should be called to order by his religious leaders. To break Nigeria is very hard. When MKO Abiola died many said that it is the end of Nigeria existence, but as it is said soldier go soldier come, but barrack remains. On the other hand, I want to advice the Islamic clerics from the north to be very careful about what they say, and to avoid getting themselves entangled in politics. The Christians clergy men got their fingers badly burnt under Goodluck Jonathan and they should not allow the same faith to befall them under president Buhari.

LET US LOOK AT ROTATIONAL PRESIDENCY, ALTHOGH IT IS NOT PART OF OUR CONSTITUTION, BUT IT HAS BEEN PART OF POLITICAL ARRANGEMENT IN NIGERIA, THAT AFTER THE NORTH COMES THE SOUTH AND SO ON. WHAT IS YOUR OPINION ON THIS?

It is a big lie, there is nothing like rotational presidency. It is not in our constitution. President Muhammadu Buhari contested in 2003, 2007, 2011 and eventually 2015. The same as Atiku Abubakar who also contested in 2007 and have continued to attempt it up till date. Anybody saying anything about rotational presidency is bluffing because it has no place in our constitution. What the Nigerian constitution says is that anybody can contest for the president at any time. If he or she is qualified and meet all the requirements of highly coveted office. Like I said earlier this talk about rotational presidency is the idea of the elites given voice by the media. Of what benefit was it to the Ijaw people or the people of bayelsa that former president Goodluck Jonathan who is their kinsman was president for 6 good years. Of what benefit was it to the Yorubas or Ogun people that the former president Olusegun Obasanjo was president and military head of state for several years. When people say the president must come from my side, state, town, village, it makes no sense because the president coming from your enclave does not guarantee that development will come to your community. In what way has the shifting of power from the South to the North helped the south?. It has no meaning please.