Features
The Nigeria Media And Crisis Reporting
At a recent interactive forum on crisis management organized by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in Jos, a senior SSS officer pointedly accused Nigerian journalists of not being patriotic in their reportage of the lingering crises in Plateau State.
The officer, who alleged that the newshounds apparently had “some sinister motives’’, stressed that he often had cause to query the rationale behind some provocative reports on the crises.
“From their reports, one could be tempted to conclude that some of them do not want the country to remain together,’’ he said, adding: “Some of the reports were somewhat aimed at fuelling the crisis because the reports, which were usually provocative, tended to promote sectionalism and hate.’’
Expectedly, the few journalists at the forum rose stoutly in defence of their colleagues, arguing that Nigerian journalists had made a lot of sacrifices to keep the nation together, with some of them even paying the supreme sacrifice.
They argued that Nigerian journalists were among the most patriotic citizens and blamed their occasional lapses on the difficulties in getting information from news sources.
Unfortunately for the journalists, however, opinions of the participants at the forum weighed against them, as many declared that the media handling of the Plateau crises had, in most cases, worsened the situation.
Incidentally, many analysts share similar sentiments about the way the press had handled the crises that had rocked different parts of Nigeria at one point or the other.
Prof. Shedrack Best, the former Director, Centre for Conflict Management in University of Jos, belongs to that school of thought.
Best, at a breakfast meeting with Plateau-based journalists organised by the Yakubu Gowon Foundation some months ago, accused journalists of being “sometimes irresponsive and even irresponsible’’ in their treatment of the Plateau crises.
He stressed the need for journalists to be aware of the implications of their reportage on crisis situations, saying that journalists should conduct “professional soul searching’’ activities so as not to worsen already bad scenarios.
“If your reports do not point to the way out of an already bad situation, the society will surely continue to see you as part of the problem,’’ Best said.
Alhaji Aliyu Alhassan, Coordinator, North-Central zone of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), also expressed similar viewpoints at a recent meeting with some journalists in Jos.
Alhassan advised journalists to be “very careful and more considerate’’ while managing information during crisis.
“The world is now a global village and a picture of crisis can be sent across the world within minutes with a single click on the button of a handset.
“Such picture could trigger a lot of consequences, even worse than what had happened. So, people who send stories and pictures must always consider the consequences of their action on the society before doing that,’’ he said.
Alhassan, however, conceded that a clash of interest usually existed between the crisis manager and the journalist, who was apparently more interested in the news value of a crisis.
He, nonetheless, warned journalists against any tendency to jettison “national interests and security’’ because of the need to produce “screaming headlines that would engender higher circulation’’.
Alhassan, who noted that technological advancement had significantly improved human communication, however, bemoaned the fact that it had also made it difficult to filter news.
He cited the instance of the Jos crisis last December, where television houses exposed some raw facts about the unending feud, as opposing camps spoke freely on contentious issues in anger.
“The television also caught on camera, rampaging youths with sophisticated AK 47 rifles firing into ‘enemy’ settlements. Such reports definitely have dire consequences,’’ he said.
Mr Haroun Audu, the Chairman of the Plateau chapter of Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), said that the journalists’ approach to crisis reporting had not been quite helpful in addressing crisis situations.
He particularly noted that the journalists’ reports had always been “tilted in favour of particular interests, even to the detriment of national security concerns’’.
“For instance, people in and out of Jos are usually confused about the true position of things during a crisis because the reports of each media organisation are based on its peculiar sentiments.
“The reports are usually sensational; they fuel religious or ethnic hatred among the people and that jeopardises national security,’’ Audu said.
Incidentally, some journalists agree that some media outfits through their reports have, indeed, promoted some parochial interests, instead of safeguarding the national interests.
Mr Jonathan Ishaku, the General Manager of Nigerian Standard newspapers, noted that some journalists still exhibited an “open bias’’ which often relegated national interests, while promoting selfish and strange interests in their coverage of the Plateau crises.
“Generally, you find a tendency where journalists’ reportage promote hate and further aggravate a crisis by playing up emotions that are usually destructive to national interests,’’ he said.
Ishaku, the author of the book “Boko Haram’’, particularly criticised the way the media covered politics and religion, alleging that many reporters and editors usually found it difficult to detach themselves from their personal sentiments.
“The situation has made it impossible for the average reader or listener to get the correct picture of the issues at stake; hence enlightened opinion is hardly brought to bear on very crucial issues,’’ he said.
Ishaku stressed that on some occasions, the media jettisoned the nation-building roles, citing how some media houses “justified’’ the violence that rocked some parts of the country after the April presidential election as an instance.
“Even some editorials justified the violence and the killing of several innocent people based on the excuse that the elections were rigged. It was, indeed, shocking!’’ he said.
Sharing similar sentiments, Sylvestre Ade, an Abuja-based journalist, recalled that he was once seriously embarrassed by the attitude of some fellow journalists, who commended the hoodlums who stoned some politicians during electioneering in the lead up to the April polls.
“One would have expected journalists to condemn such actions and advise the youths to rather use their voting power to reject candidates they did not want but I found it disgusting that my colleagues even applauded such aberrations. In some cases, they even hailed the rampaging youths,’’ he said.
Aisha Yolah, an editor with the Leadership Newspapers, while commenting on the genre of journalism practice currently in vogue in the country, lamented that some journalists had played “appreciable roles in misinforming the people, while sustaining the culture of hate and ignorance during crises.’’
She said that the situation had turned journalists and the journalism profession into the subject of many derisive jokes, as many people now disparaged journalists as “liars’’.
Yolah urged journalists to be mindful of their expectations in the 21st Century civilization, while calling on the Nigerian Press Council, the National Broadcasting Commission and other regulatory bodies to always sanction erring journalists.
Mr Segun Adeniyi, former Special Adviser (Media and Publicity) to the late President Shehu Yar’Adua, now Chairman, ThisDay Editorial Board, said that he was particularly irked about the way some media outfits were “celebrating’’ the activities of “Boko Haram’’.
“Boko Haram’’ is a terrorist group which claimed responsibility for recent bombings in some parts of the country,
“What is particularly worrisome to me is the reportage in some sections of the media which tends to glorify the violence. Quoting imaginary sources within the ‘Boko Haram’ who vowed to unleash all manner of mayhem and giving such reports sensational treatment is very unhelpful under the current circumstances.
“It can only fuel the problem and even encourage some troublemakers, who may hide under the guise of ‘Boko Haram’ to perpetrate havoc just to destabilise the system,’’ he said.
Consequently, Adeniyi advised security agencies to solicit the cooperation of “senior people in the media’’ in efforts to promote peace and order, adding that the Nigerian media should not be drawn into engaging in any form of divisive politics.
However, Michael Andrew, a lawyer, said that journalists stood the risk of being rejected by the society if they continued to “work toward manipulating the people instead of informing and educating them, in line with their professional obligations’’.
He said that he was always disturbed whenever journalists tried to gloss over the real issues when political leaders were being tried for alleged corruption while in office.
Andrew cited the ongoing trial of Mr Dimeji Bankole, former Speaker, House of Representatives, over alleged financial wrongdoing while in office, as an instance, describing as “disgusting’’ the media outcry that Bankole was being persecuted for supporting the emergence of Aminu Tambuwal as the current Speaker.
“My feeling is that such standpoints do not aid the quest for national growth; as a lot of Nigerians look up to the press for a good grasp of issues. So, the society will be the worse for it if journalists abdicate their roles in pursuit of some selfish goals,’’ he said.
As the country is faced by myriad security, economic and political challenges, many analysts indeed agree with Andrew that the media ought to always place national interests above any other consideration in their day-to-day reportage.
They argue that the media, in their nation-building and agenda-setting roles, should always strive to structure their reports in a way that will aid the country’s transformation and the wellbeing of its citizens.
Sheyin writes for News Agency of Nigeria.
Ephraims Sheyin
The persistent clash between farmers and herders in Nigeria has been a longstanding issue. These conflicts, often, over resources like land and water, have led to loss of lives, destruction of property, displacement of large numbers of people, deep-seated mistrust between communities and insecurity. Herders, traditionally nomadic, move their livestock in search of grazing land and water. Farmers, on the other hand, require the same resources for their crops. This competition often leads to clashes, especially in areas where land is becoming increasingly scarce due to population growth, climate change, and environmental degradation. As these clashes intensify, there has been a growing call for sustainable solutions. Two weeks ago, President Bola Tinubu took a bold step towards tackling the issue by inaugurating the Presidential Committee on Implementation of Livestock Reforms and creating the Ministry of Livestock Development.
The committee which has the president as the chairman and the former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega as the deputy chairman has the mandate to address obstacles to agricultural productivity and open up new opportunities which benefit farmers, herders, processors, and distributors in the livestock-farming value chain as well as propose recommendations aimed at fostering a peaceful co-existence between herders and farmers, ensuring the security and economic well-being of Nigerians.The establishment of the Ministry of Livestock Development was part of the recommendations of the National Livestock Reforms Committee. Part of the 21 recommendations submitted to the president include: “This agenda should include the establishment and resuscitation of grazing reserves as suggested by many experts and well-meaning Nigerians and other methods of land utilisation.
“Create the Ministry of Livestock Resources in line with practice in many other West African countries. In the alternative, Federal and State Governments should expand the scope of existing Departments of Livestock Production to address the broader needs of the industry,” among others. Experts in the agricultural sector have posited that the livestock industry can create millions of jobs directly in farming, processing, and distribution, and indirectly in related sectors like feed production, veterinary services, and marketing. It provides livelihoods for rural populations, helping to reduce poverty and improve the quality of life in rural areas. It also increases the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and foreign exchange earnings through the exports of livestock and livestock products such as meat, dairy, wool and leather.
According to them, a well-funded livestock industry supports the growth of agro-processing sectors, such as meat packing, dairy processing, and leather manufacturing, adds value to raw products and creates additional economic activity as well as stimulates the development of supply chains, including logistics, packaging, and retail, contributing to broader economic growth. It enhances economic resilience by diversifying the agricultural sector and providing a buffer against crop failures or other agricultural shocks and many more. Some other agriculturists have also opined that the livestock industry in Nigeria is currently underdeveloped and that by the creation of the ministry of livestock development will open up the industry which will be a huge money spinner for Nigeria.
Reports have shown that a Livestock Ministry can play a pivotal role in mitigating conflicts between farmers and herders by implementing policies and programmes aimed at fostering coexistence and sustainable resource management. The Ministry can work towards clearly demarcating grazing routes and farming areas. This would reduce instances of trespassing and accidental crop destruction, a common flashpoint for conflict. While introducing rotational grazing systems can ensure that land is used sustainably, preventing overgrazing and land degradation, establishing water points and boreholes specifically for livestock can reduce competition for water resources. Similarly, promoting the development of pasturelands through reseeding and controlled burns can improve grazing conditions.
According to a veterinary doctor, Dr Andrew Obadiah, by providing training for herders on sustainable livestock practices and for farmers on conflict resolution, both parties can understand the importance of coexistence. He said that extension services of the ministry can offer advice on improving livestock health and productivity, reducing the need for large herds and extensive grazing. “Setting up local committees involving both farmers and herders to mediate disputes can provide a platform for dialogue and peaceful resolution. Encouraging community-based conflict early warning systems can help prevent clashes before they escalate”, he emphasised.For Mrs. Stella Ugwu, a farmer, having a ministry dedicated to the development of the livestock industry can help in diversifying income sources for both farmers and herders and in turn reduce dependence on land.
”For instance, promoting agro-pastoralism can provide farmers with livestock and herders with agricultural produce”, she explained, adding that providing incentives for adopting sustainable practices, such as subsidies for fodder production or crop insurance, can ease economic pressures. Ugwu was however of the opinion that the creation of a new ministry to handle livestock affairs was uncalled for, since the job can effectively be done by the Technical and Service Department of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and food security and its equivalent on the states level.In some countries, the establishment of a Livestock Ministry or similar bodies has shown promising results. For example, Ethiopia’s Ministry of Agriculture includes a dedicated department for livestock which has successfully implemented programmes to improve pastoral livelihoods and reduce conflicts.
In Kenya, the establishment of the National Drought Management Authority has helped manage resources better, thus reducing clashes between herders and farmers during dry seasons.The president of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Othman Ngelzarma, sees the Ministry of Livestock Development achieving the same feat for Nigeria in the near future. He told newsmen that, “MACBAN expresses its deepest appreciation to the Federal Government for creating a ministry of livestock to unlock the trillion-naira livestock economy and create qualitative and productive jobs across the value chain to improve the Nigerian economy. With this development, MACBAN believes the hope of the Nigerian pastoralists is now achieved under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
However, the Middle Belt Forum took a different view of the proposed Ministry of Livestock Development, saying it was not enough to sustainably resolve the decades-long farmers-herders crisis in the country. According to the National President of the association, Mr. Bitrus Pogu, what is needed to end the perennial farmers/herders clashes is a deliberate action by regulatory bodies and the government to stop criminal elements from carrying out deadly attacks on innocent Nigerians, mainly farmers. Hear him: “If the reason for creating the Ministry is to stop clashes, I think it is wrong because all of these attacks and killings that are happening have nothing to do with conflicts between farmers and herders. “Farmers have never connived at any given time to go and attack herders, but rather, criminals who happen to be Fulani gang up and attack farmers, kill, maim and chase them out of their ancestral homes.
“Then, the Fulani will come and occupy them. So, it is more about invasion, criminality, and terrorism. And the majority of those they hire to do these evils are not even those who have cattle. So, a deliberate action has to be taken by the government against the perpetrators, which will address the criminality.” Mr. Pogu suggested that the government should adopt ranching for productivity and enduring peace between the pastoralists and farmers in particular and the entire country in general.While the establishment of a Livestock Ministry presents a viable solution, it is not without challenges. Funding constraints, bureaucratic inefficiencies, and corruption can hamper its effectiveness. Additionally, deeply ingrained cultural practices and mistrust between farmers and herders can be difficult to overcome.
Critics argue that without a holistic approach that includes land reform, climate change adaptation, and broader economic development, a Livestock Ministry alone may not be sufficient. Therefore, it must work in tandem with other governmental and non-governmental bodies to ensure comprehensive solutions. “A dedicated Livestock Ministry, with its focus on sustainable resource management, conflict resolution, and economic incentives, offers a promising avenue to address the root causes of these clashes. However, its success depends on effective implementation, adequate funding, and the cooperation of all stakeholders involved. With the right strategies and commitment, devoid of any political or selfish interest, it can play a crucial role in fostering peace and prosperity in affected regions”, they advised.
Calista Ezeaku
Mrs Tamunobarabiye (not her real name) is an indigene of one of the riverine Local Government Areas of the oil-rich Rivers State of Nigeria, She was happily married to a man whom she described as her heartthrob. And the marriage thrived peacefully for ten years when suddenly there was a twist of events in the marital relationship. The relationship turned sour because of the absence of the fruit of the womb. The marriage was characterised by accusations and counter accusations compounded by pressures from external influences especially the husband’s relatives who blamed their son’s wife for not giving a child to their son. They described the woman as “another man in the house”, The union which started well with the Bible at the centre, was cat and rat, until medical procedures vindicated the woman. Such is the fate of many marriages and the unfortunate condition of many homes in Nigeria with the woman disproportionately blamed for lack of child bearing in marriage.
It is not saying something new that In most countries of the world, especially the African countries, infertility has posed great challenge to stability of marriage. Some marriages have failed because of inability of couple to have children. In a typical African tradition, where misguided myth and superstition hold sway, more often than not, women are speculatively and presumptuously blamed for the lack of procreation in the marital relationship while the husband is saintly in disposition and in the biased evaluation of his relatives. Gynaecologists however, have proven that either husband or wife or the both could be responsible for infertile challenges encountered in marriages. It is not exclusively an act of witchcraft as many African homes are prone to, and captivated by such superstitious belief. Gynaecologists and other medical experts have cited ignorance and the lack of awareness as major contributory factors to the rising incidence of infertility in marriages.
The specialists in women challenges spoke at the 2024 Fertility Conference, held recently in Lagos. The annual event, themed, “Infertility – Need for Knowledge and Early Intervention,” was organised by the Parah Family Foundation(PFF). The Lead Speaker, Preye Fiebai, a Professor and Specialist Obstetrician and Gynaecologist from the University of Port Harcourt, also noted that Nigerian men were unaware that the ability to ejaculate did not equate to being fertile. According to Fiebai, research has shown that 20-45 percent of women in Nigeria are infertile, but often, the cause of infertility in marriages is not the women.
The Specialist Obstetrician said research breakdown shows that 40 percent of infertility cases are due to male factors, 40 percent to female factors, 15 percent to combined male and female factors, and five percent are unexplained.
Fiebai listed causes of infertility in men to include: erectile dysfunction, impotence, decreased libido, psychogenic issues, endocrinopathies, age, and over weight, among others. For women, the medical expert pointed to cervical factors, uterine factors, diseases of the fallopian tubes, and problems with ovulation. Also, a professor of Surgery from the University of Lagos, Kehinde Habeeb Tijani, added factors such as age, weight, stress, excessive alcohol consumption, exposure to radiation, and constant exposure of the testicles to high temperatures as contributors to infertility. For his part, Managing Director, Lifeline Fertility Clinic, Kemi Alioje and Tony Akinyemi, while affirming the submission of the other speakers, offered various remedies to overcome infertility. They also advised women over the age of 54 to avoid aspiring for pregnancy due to the associated risks.
Also speaking, the Conference Convener, Dayo Odukoya described the infertility rates and causes as “alarming.” She emphasised the need for ongoing awareness to encourage couples experiencing infertility to seek solutions early in their marriages rather than delaying. According to her, “The foundation’s primary objective is to share vital information, enlighten and provide the relevant support system for families undergoing fertility challenges to eradicate ignorance, the misguided myths and social stigma associated with delayed fertility in our society. “The choice of the theme for this year’s conference; infertility- needs for knowledge and early intervention; is to further reiterate the importance of continued awareness, and knowledge about the challenges of infertility and more importantly, action to be taken as early as possible if not, it may cause further delays, especially in late marriage and aged women.
“The journey to parenthood is lonely and must not be treaded alone. There is a need for a support system on this journey and that is where the Parah Family comes in,” she said. The effects of infertility is better imagined than experienced. It is daunting, overwhelming and emotionally devastating. It triggers uneasy calm, quarrels, fighting, accusations, and divorce. The effects defy religious membership as some Christian marriages are not free from the attendant challenges caused by infertility..
Mrs Veronica, a victim of infertility induced crisis said infertility in marriage is a nightmare that a woman should not wish her enemy. According to her, it is stigmatizing, and leads to exclusiveness in a matrimonial home.”You know this thing called infertility is a bad thing that one should not even wish it happens to her enemy. It is a very bad experience. You are not free in your marital home.
Almost every member of your husband’s extended family sees you as the cause of their brother not having a child”. For Mrs. Beauty, infertility is a challenge that some women brought on themselves ignorantly when they were young. According to her, abortion may cause infertility. “You know that no woman knows her fertility status – that is the number of children a woman can give birth to, in a normal condition. Some women might have several pregnancy abortion and may still have a child or children. But some may abort only once, yet may not have any child”. She warned against the temptation of abortion of pregnancy. She said no pregnancy is “unwanted”. Rather than trading blames and accusations, married men and women should undergo medical checks to ascertain their fertility status even before marriage. Those who are medically deficient should access medical facility to solve the problem.
Igbiki Benibo
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