The media and its mischievous merger of divergent thoughts

BY ZAILANI BAPPA

I was reading a position article by the Daily Trust online this morning. It dwelt on a call by the present Governor of Katsina State, Aminu Bello Masari to the effect that all citizens in his state should rise up to defend themselves in the light of the ongoing attacks by bandits in his state.

This report was used to justify an earlier call by a former Nigeria’s Minister of Defense, General TY Danjuma (rtd) to the effect that the Federal Government and the state governments have failed in securing the lives and property of the people from the bandits’ attacks. This position was earlier taken by many online media and bloggers before this day.

I took special interest and concern today because I know that as it goes in, the wrong position will ultimately affect my Principal since he is known to be the originator of this similar call which was now re-iterated by Governor Masari. Governor Dr Bello Mohammad made the call on his citizens some eight months ago when he noticed the growing menace of armed attacks on local communities in the state

I have always wondered why many of the Nigerian media are always in deliberate mutilation of facts in a desperate bid to put the authorities at fault as if they are angry with a Nigeria that is at peace. Governor Bello Masari, and indeed Governor Bello Mohammed at various times called on their citizens to defend themselves against bandits where they can, due to the scarcity of security operatives who cannot be everywhere at all times. We know that the Nigerian Security operatives are currently overstretched.

Significantly, however, this call is not an indictment on the Federal Government or the Security operatives. Neither is it “a subtle way of accepting failure” as posited by the Daily Trust and its other cohorts. It is a realistic approach to dealing with the situation at hand without being too rigid on the procedure.

In sharp contrast to this vision, the former Defense Minister outrightly indicted the Military he once led as being accomplice to the plight of his own ethnic Nationality and also accused the Federal Government of failure in its handling of the security issues of the country. This is in total variance to the Governors’  calls.

I find it expedient to make this clarification because, with the way the argument is being replicated, it will snowball down to what His Excellency Governor Bello Mohammed has said earlier which I believe is in tandem with what Governor Bello Masari has recently said. And it is the honest but patriotic way of adding the wise solution to the fight against the insurgents and not a rebellion against the state or its operatives. It is our cardinal responsibility to always put the record straight.