President Muhammadu Buhari has listed Nigeria’s gains from participating in Open Government Partnership (OGP), through joining the transparency body in 2016.
The President, who today, July 28, received a delegation from the OGP Support Unit, led by the Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Sanjay Pradhan, recalled that when he committed Nigeria to the membership of the Open Government Partnership at the London Anti-Corruption Summit, he was very clear about the role that the initiative would play in the fight against corruption.
He said that since the time Nigeria joined the OGP, “we have developed and implemented two National Action Plans on the Open Government Partnership.
“By next month (in August), I will sign the third Action Plan, which is in the final stages of development. I am eager to sign the document so that we can continue to sustain the progress of reforms that we have recorded in the past six years of implementation.”
President Buhari said that some of the successes Nigeria has recorded since it began to implement the Open Government Partnership in 2016, including the fact that “our budgeting processes have become more open, citizens-centred and participatory.
“In accordance with the objective of fiscal transparency, all stakeholders, including the public are involved in the country’s budget making process, have access to the details of our budgets, and have opportunity to make inputs into it. As a proof of our progress, Nigeria was ranked among the best improved countries for transparency in the latest global Open Budget Survey.
“We have made significant progress in the beneficial ownership transparency in Nigeria. We produced a roadmap of Beneficial Ownership Reporting in 2016. By December 2019, we established Africa’s first Beneficial Ownership Register in the extractive industry. In 2020, we amended our laws to expand Beneficial Ownership Reporting to all sectors of the economy.
“We are currently building a robust national Beneficial Ownership Database, which will be deployed to combat global criminal activities including illicit financial flows and terrorism financing. We are equally convinced the Beneficial Ownership disclosure policy will support our domestic resource mobilization.
“We are encouraged that, at the last OGP Global Summit in Seoul, South Korea, Nigeria won the OGP Impact Award for our commitment and progress on Beneficial Ownership Transparency.
“As part of our commitment to sustain the progress, I have just approved Nigeria’s membership of the Beneficial Ownership Leadership Group.”
On extractive industry transparency, he said that Nigeria as a leading member of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, was appointed recently to chair the global network of 20 countries implementing contract transparency.
“Also, as part of a broader commitment to extractive industry transparency, we passed the Petroleum Industry Act which introduced sweeping reforms to enhance transparent and accountable governance of the oil and gas industry.
“In public procurement, we have established the Nigerian Procurement Portal, where citizens can monitor all government procurement processes in a transparent manner. We are currently improving this system to achieve greater effectiveness.”
President Buhari said that one of the reasons the country has made this much progress is because “we have backed our verbal commitments with deliberate action, by including OGP implementation in the national budget to ensure sustainability of the partnership in Nigeria.
“With these steps we have taken, our administration will bequeath to the next government a culture of transparency, accountability and citizens’ participation in governance. We have worked hard to institutionalise the OGP by mainstreaming open government practices across our governance systems.”
The President commended the national OGP team, led by Minister of State, Budget and National Planning, Prince Clem Agba, who is the Government Co-Chair, and the Civil Society Co-Chair Dr. Tayo Adeloju for their relentless efforts in advancing transparency and accountability in governance processes.
OGP CEO, Pradhan, recalled that he was there in London in 2016, when President Buhari committed to the 77-member organization as Number 70, and described Nigeria as “an excellent performer, one of the most open across the partnership.”
He lauded Nigeria for opening up its budget processes, contracts, procurement, and the extractive sector.
He advocated more reforms in disclosure of audit, establishing an E-procurement platform, and institutionalization of OGP, among others.
Pradhan described Nigeria as a country “with open hearts, open arms of friendship and partnership.
Police in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja has evolved plans of taking the fight to the identified camps of rampaging terrorists in recent time.
One of the major plans, according to the FCT Commissioner of Police, Sunday Babaji, is to involve security collaboration and partnerships with states that are contiguous to the Federal Capital Territory, including among others, Nasarawa, Kogi, Niger, Kaduna and Plateau States.
The Commissioner, who spoke today, July 28 at the end of the Security Committee meeting, chaired by the FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, said that the re-invigoration of the G7 security operations will see the commencement of security actions and procedures that will involve taking the fight to the bandits and terrorists in their camps which are mostly located in states bordering the FCT.
He called for the collaboration and cooperation of residents, advising them to provide actionable and timely intelligence to the security agencies and that they should be security conscious at all times.
The Commissioner assured residents of their safety and that they should go about their lawful activities.
“I call on residents to give actionable and timely intelligence to all the security agencies and to also be security conscious.
“I’m also assuring them that FCT is safe. Every member of the community should go about their lawful businesses. We are on top of the situation.
“We have deployed our men both overt and covert and we are doing everything possible in synergy with all the security agencies, with the support of our traditional rulers and religious leaders to make sure that FCT is safe.”
This was even as the Senior Special Assistant on Security to the Minister, Ambassador Abu Salihu Mohammed, emphasized the readiness of the heads of security agencies in the neighbouring states to participate actively in the G7 operations.
He also called on residents to be wary of fake news, especially on the social media which are designed to cause panic amongst the citizenry.
Circulating such news, he said would amount to playing into the hands of terrorists.
He advised residents not to panic but to always verify news and other information from relevant and recognized authorities.
The meeting was also attended by the FCT Minister of State, Dr Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, Chief of Staff to the Minister, Malam Bashir Mai-Bornu, ES FCDA, Engr Shehu Hadi Ahmed, heads of the various military formations and para-military organizations in the FCT as well as religious and traditional leaders and Area Council Chairmen.
The death, yesterday, July 27, 2022 in Kaduna, of one of the few veteran editors and thorough-bred journalists of our time, Alhaji Abdulhamid Babatunde Agaka came as a rude shock and surprise to those of us that have admired his writing prowess and sharp editorial judgment, but it didn’t look surprise to him.
In fact, Abdulhamid Babatunde had always believed strongly that sooner or later, he would return to his maker, especially as he began to see his children growing. As a matter of fact, I had a chance meeting with him in Abuja a couple of years ago after a decade since we parted, and in the course of discussion, he veered into personal issues, asking me about my children, three of whose naming ceremonies he attended back then in Gworon Dutse, in the Kano main municipality. I also, naturally asked after Ahmad, his eldest son, whose naming ceremony I also attended in the early 80’s at No-man’s land in the Sabon Gari area of Kano.
In response, he said: ‘”Ahmad is now a big boy. He is even taller than me now. In fact, when your child grows up to the point where he can conveniently use your shoes or shirts, you should know that your time (death) in this world is just around the corner. We have paid our dues and just waiting for us to return to where we came.”
In fact, when I was employed in 1982 by the New Nigerian newspapers, a Federal Government owned newspapers, founded in Kaduna along with the Federal Radio Corporation by late Sardauna of Sokoto and Premier of the Northern Nigeria, Sir Ahmadu Bello in the 60’s, I was instantly posted to Kano where Abdulhamid Babatunde held sway as the newspapers State Editor. I was to assist him in the news coverage of the old Kano State, now divided into Kano and Jigawa States.
It was a joyride for the two years I worked under Abdulhamid Babatunde. He was not only a teacher, showing me, as young reporter (just two years in the profession) how to gather news and how to write them, especially the intros, he also became a friend and confidant, to the extent that when he was marrying his wife, an Igbo lady, named Stella, who later changed her name to Salamatu, he involved me fully in the preparations. As at the time they married, Salamatu was actually a lady Journalist too.
Not quite two years after I joined him in Kano, Abdulhamid Babatunde was transferred to the Headquarters in Kaduna, where he eventually became the chairman of the Editorial Board of the newspaper organization. I was left in Kano as acting State Editor. That was the first major parting the two of us had. But we still maintained staccato contacts, either through my visits to the headquarters for one official reason or the other or his few-and-far-between visits to Kano.
Sometime towards the end of 1987, I had a serious issue with the then the military President of Nigeria, General Ibrahim Babangida via a story I wrote about his wife, late Mariam. The story was published in the newspaper. I was locked up for three months at Ilaro prison in Ogun State after being arrested at the Kano International Airport, when the aircraft I traveled in from Saudi Arabia landed. When I was released after several “shouts” by various bodies, including the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), the New Nigerian Newspapers management sacked me without giving me an opportunity to explain myself.
It was Abdulhamid Babantunde who, as I reflect in my soon-to-be published autobiography, gave me a word of courage thus: “from what had happened, you should’ve expected that the New Nigerian newspapers would sack you. You know they (the Federal Government) own it hundred percent. Anywhere you would wish to find a job, let me know so that I would render whatever assistance I can.” – (November 30, 1987).
Not quite long after, late Ismaila Isa Funtua invited Abdulhamid Babatunde to help set up a new national newspaper, called The Democrat and made him (Abdulhamid Babatunde) the pioneer Editor of the newspaper, with Gabriel Abutu as an acting Editor of the Weekend version of the newspaper.
After several attempts at securing another job failed, as the officers of the State Security Service (SSS) continued to trail me (secretly) to anywhere I sought an employment, as a way of frustrating me out of the profession, I ran to Abdulhamid Babatunde in Kaduna, who instantly employed me, damning the consequences. He was threatened by the officers of the SSS but he would not bug. He posted me back to Kano as State Editor in 1989.
That was the way of Alhaji Abdulhamid Babatunde. He was very courageous, dexterous in service and professional all through in the art of journalism and writing. He, indeed, was a prolific writer, so much that he became the power behind all the writings that were attributed to one of the outspoken politicians of our time, late Wada Nas, and many others.
Abdulhamid Babatunde, who was born on February 26, 1956, joined the service of the New Nigerian newspapers, the pioneer Northern newspaper based in Kaduna, in 1974.
He attended Capital School Kaduna, before proceeding to Barewa College Zaria and Government Secondary School Ilorin.
Abdulhamid Babatunde, in the bid for excellence in Journalism, attended several media trainings, workshops and conferences at home and abroad, and was an alumnus of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos.
The late veteran journalist also held executive positions in the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), where he was a Fellow.
Alhaji Abdulhamid Babatunde, who was once the Secretary of the Jokolo Committee set up by then President Olusegun Obasanjo, in 1999, is survived by four children: Ahmad, Maryam, Halima and Abdulhamid (Jnr).
He is also survived by other siblings, including Malam Ismail Ila Agaka, a former Managing Director of Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) and Ilyasu Baba Agaka, a Director at the Presidency among others.
I would say that I also feel a great sense of loss in view of the positive roles he played in my formative years as journalist. Even after retiring from active practice as he settled for consultancy work, he had kept monitoring my progress in the profession, so much that he virtually married himself to Greenbarge Reporters, an online newspaper I floated in 2012 after I too, voluntarily retired from serving others. He used to sometimes make comments, either commending the news items I featured on the platform or correct some of them.
While, I wait for my turn in the journey to the place we all came from, I wish Abdulhamid Babatunde Allah’s forgiveness of his sins; the ones he committed knowing and others he committed without knowing them; and a peaceful rest in the bosom of the Lord, and eventually, Al-Jannatu Firdausi.
Yusuf Ozi Usman is the Editor-In-Chief of Greenbarge Reporters online newspaper and Chief Executive Officer of the Greenbarge Media and Communications Limited based in Abuja, Nigeria.
President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed condolences over the death of Abdulhamid Babatunde, whom he described as “a famous journalist and writer” who served as editor of several newspaper titles, including the defunct, Kaduna-based Democrat.
“Abdulhamid Babatunde was a distinguished writer and journalist. He contributed extensively to our elections in 2015 and 2019. He worked to strengthen the journalism profession as an eminent writer and unionist.”
In the condolence message issued by his senior special assistant on media and publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, the President said that late Abdulhamid Babatunde was always full of energy and ideas and was passionate about Nigeria’s development.
According to Buhari, Abdulhamid Babatund will be missed by so many people, saying: “his demise leaves a huge void in the media.”
The President prayed to Allah for the repose his soul and grant fortitude to his family and friends to bear the loss.
Renowned veteran journalist and former chairman of the Editorial Board of the New Nigerian Newspapers in Kaduna, Alhaji Abdulhamid Babatunde Agaka is dead. He died in Kaduna in his sleep last night, July 27 at the age of 66.
It was gathered that the seasoned journalist cum editor, who had lost his wife last month, died in his sleep at his residence in Kaduna.
He joined the service of the New Nigerian newspapers, the pioneer Northern newspaper based in Kaduna, in 1974 and rose through the ranks to become Chairman of its Editorial Board, from where he moved to another Kaduna-based newspaper, The Democrat newspaper published by late Malam Ismaila Isa Funtua as its Editor in 1988, till 1997.
He was born on February 26, 1956 and attended Capital School Kaduna, before proceeding to Barewa College Zaria and Government Secondary School Ilorin.
Abdulhamid Babatunde Agaka, in the bid for excellence in Journalism, attended several media trainings, workshops and conferences at home and abroad, and was an alumnus of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos.
The late veteran journalist also held executive positions in the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), where he was a Fellow.
Alhaji Abdulhamid Babatunde Agaka, who was once the Secretary of the Jokolo Committee set up by then President Olusegun Obasanjo, in 1999, is survived by four children: Ahmad, Maryam, Halima and Abdulhamid (Jnr).
He is also survived by other siblings including Mallam Ismail Ila Agaka, a former Managing Director of Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) and Ilyasu Baba Agaka, a Director at the Presidency among others.
Babatunde, renowned for his trenchant articles recently wrote about the seemingly endless war against Boko Haram and other security challenges.
It was learnt that his last article was widely read by policy, security and security top notchers. Some of those who read it actually called to commend Babatunde for his “patriotic” write-up.
We, in Greenbarge Reporters online newspaper, particularly the Editor-In-Chief/Chief Executive Officer, Yusuf Ozi Usman, were shocked at the death of Abdulhamid Babantunde. He was one of the mentors of Yusuf Ozi-Usman, who worked under him in Kano, when he (late Babatunde) was the State Editor of the New Nigerian newspapers. We condole with those he left behind, especially, his children.
Chief Judge of Akwa Ibom State, Justice Ekaette Obot has sent a lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, to jail for one month from the courtroom even as healso ordered the arrest of a Premium Times reporter, Saviour Imukudo, over a case of defamation between Akwa Ibom State governor, Udom Emmanuel and a lawyer, Leo Ekpenyong.
The jailed lawyer, a human rights lawyer, was handling a case for his client before the judge sent him to prison straight from the courtroom.
Shortly after the court sitting, the jailed lawyer announced his travails on Twitter: saying: “I have been sent to Uyo prison by the Chief Judge of Akwa Ibom State, Justice Ekaette Obot, for one month for defending Leo Ekpenyong in a libel suit filed by Governor Udom Emmanuel.”
The Premium Times reporter, Imukudo, was also arrested by the police in the same court on the orders of the Chief Judge. He was covering the court sitting when he was harassed and ordered out of the court before Justice Obot ordered his arrest.
It was gathered that the judge ordered Imukudo to leave the courtroom after he identified himself as a reporter with the Premium Times and that as he was walking out of the courtroom, the judge ordered a police officer to search him and confiscate his phone.
Meanwhile, the Coalition for Whistleblower Protection and Press Freedom (CWPPF) has condemned Imukodo’s arrest and has demanded the immediate release of the reporter and another journalist, John Adenekan.
In a statement by Programme Officer of the CWPPF, Stephanie Adams-Douglas, the Whistleblower said: “on Wednesday, July 27, Mr Imukodo, a reporter with Premium Times, covering a court proceeding, was first harassed and ushered out of the court before Judge Obot ordered his arrest.
“Sadly, this is not the first time journalists, media professionals, press freedom advocates and civil rights activists have been targets of assault by anti-democratic elements. Judge Obot has intentionally shown disregard for the Constitution which gives journalists the right to gather and disseminate information in the public interest.”
CWPPF condemned the raid by Nigerian police on the Abuja head office of the Peoples Gazette on July 23 and the arrest of Adenekan, an assistant managing editor.
According to the CWPPF: “these among several other attacks targeted at proactive individuals engaged in human rights and media freedom activism reflect the sustained assault on the civic space by elements resistant to being held accountable to the people.
“Specific case of the media, it is constitutionally mandated to hold the government and public office holders accountable to the people. For this reason, the Federal Government and Nigerians should see the news media and civil society groups as partners, not adversaries.
“While investigation is ongoing, we condemn the attacks on Mr Imukodo and Mr Adenekan and demand their unconditional release.”
The coalition said that it would continue to uphold its stance against any attack on human rights and press freedom in Nigeria and across the sub-Saharan region.
The Presidency has advised opposition Senators in the National Assembly to stop what it called: “babyish antics” by the staging of a walk out over the “ridiculous motion to impeach our President.”
In a statement late today, July 27, the senior special assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on media and publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, commended the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan for refusing to entertain such impeachment debate.
Malam Garba Shehu said that instead of making a mockery out of voters by trying to imitate what they see in America, “the opposition would be well advised that their time would be better spent tackling the pressing issues Nigerians face, such as the current global cost of living crisis.
“Their continued failure to do so goes some way to explaining why they remain in opposition.
“In contrast, the President Muhammadu Buhari administration is committed to finding lasting solutions to the emerging security threats, including those left behind by the PDP in the South-South, the Northeast and throughout the federation. In the last 24 hours, two more Chibok girls were freed, in addition to the three brought home last week.
“These kinds of headline grabbing stunts for which the opposition is now well known serve no one, least of all their constituents. We would respectfully remind them that it is those same constituents that they were elected to serve, and are paid to do so with public money.
“We would welcome their collaboration in our efforts to solve the problems Nigerians face on a daily basis. No one is asking them to waste their time attempting to impeach a democratically elected President at the end of his second term – certainly not their constituents.
“They should ask themselves: do they want to be in government or do they want to be in the headlines?
“If they want to be in government they should start acting like it and stop undermining Nigerian voters.”
A group, the Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) has asked security agencies in the country not to ignore an interview granted the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) by Buba Galadima, a former close ally of President Muhammadu Buhari over the threat by terrorists to abduct the President.
In a statement today, July 27 by its Chairman Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary, Cassidy Madueke, the group drew the attention of the security agencies to the fact that Galadima spoke like someone who knows what the terrorists want, “and probably knows how to get it.”
The group said that the manner in which Galadima spoke on the possibility of the President being kidnapped soon, showed that the man knows more than he is telling the nation.
It said that Galadima has shown that he knows a lot more about the terrorists on rampage in some parts of the country than he is telling Nigerians.
“Our attention has been drawn to Buba Galadima’s recent interview with BBC Hausa service, and the confidence with which he spoke about terrorists abducting President Buhari.
“It is against this backdrop that we urge security agencies not to overlook him in the course of investigating the terrorists’ threat to abduct the President, ” it said.
“That the assertion came few days after what many Nigerians thought was an empty abduction threat by a terrorist group which attacked a Kaduna-bound train and is still holding 39 passengers since March, should give all patriots cause for concern.
“We heard him saying in that interview that bandits were disdainful of the Buhari administration and we wonder how he knew this, if not that he is in regular touch with the leadership of the criminals.
“Also, being a former ally of President Buhari and is likely to know his routine, we are concerned that Buba Galadima may have passed on some valuable information to the terrorists.”
The group said that the Buhari administration has not failed in securing the country even as it called on the authorities to step up their intelligence gathering capacity to counter the fresh wave of security challenges in the country.
Journalists and now a global media organization of repute, the BBC, which should know better, are becoming a tool for terrorists, even if unwittingly, by amplifying the faces, voices and stories of killers and marauders who are still operating with impunity across Nigeria.
The public interest argument seems to have been misunderstood, some may even say misrepresented, to enable sensationalist reporting that is very unlikely to be allowed on screens in the United Kingdom. By not upholding the same standards as they would uphold in the UK, in their work in Nigeria, the BBC Africa Eye producers in their latest documentary titled ‘The Bandits Warlords of Zamfara’ have provided a global platform to terrorists and can be accused of becoming an accomplice to terror in the name of reporting it.
When Communications Professor at the University of Toronto Mahmoud Eid coined the term Terroredia, in his book Exchanging Terrorism Oxygen for Media Airwaves, Eid argues that there is now a ‘relationship between terrorists and media professionals in which acts of terrorism and media coverage are exchanged, influenced, and fuelled by one another.’ Since it was written 7 years ago, it would appear the case Eid was trying to make is now quite self-evident, especially in Nigeria where increasingly, propaganda videos and statements by terror groups as well as features on terror leaders are finding their way into mainstream media. We can now easily identify, for example, the faces of the major kingpins responsible for the widespread kidnappings and killings that are occurring on a daily basis in the Northern part of Nigeria, no thanks to having their pictures and videos splashed all over the pages of newspapers and on our television screens almost as if they are Nollywood A-listers.
None of this has ‘helped’ our inept government, led by President Muhamadu Buhari, to find and arrest these blood-thirsty criminals. The ‘pressure’ has also not stopped the administration from playing ostrich and finding an effective way of tackling insecurity. These are some of the public interest arguments put forward by those defending the featuring of predatory criminals on national and now international media platforms.
The arguments also include an assertion that hearing from terrorists helps us better understand the conflicts and therefore come up with solutions. Under the guise of public interest, this is the argument that BBC Africa Eye seems to be presenting, to justify its decision to actively give copious screen time to self-confessed murderers and kidnappers, who are still actively involved in attacking communities, killing, kidnapping, pillaging and generally making life brutish and a living hell for the people of Nigeria’s North-western State of Zamfara and beyond.
The two promotional clips released for the documentary, the Bandits Warlords of Zamfara, feature a marauder who should remain nameless here, confirming that he was part of those who raided Jengebe girls’ secondary school in the state, abducting over 300 students with the attendant horror of these sorts of crimes normally entail, and releasing them, after the payment of ransom. Evidently, the BBC Africa Eye team also had no problem utilising footage that appears to have been shot by these self-confessed criminals because this makes it into the second trailer. No media of repute would take this decision because it is generally understood that these sorts of videos are recorded by terrorists for one thing and one thing only: propaganda.
Reports of the documentary in national newspapers also quote one of the featured criminals boasting, in the documentary, that he only kills, and doesn’t kidnap for ransom. This is the nature of the program that the ‘reputable’ BBC Africa Eye is positioning as having a public interest imperative.
To be clear, the current state of insecurity and all that it entails is the fault of the Federal Government, led by President Muhammadu Buhari, and he must be held responsible for the carnage and state of anarchy engulfing the nation. That does not however mean irresponsible reporting by the media, which after all should champion the common man, should not be challenged.
If terrorists were killing and kidnapping British citizens, especially young children, the BBC would not enable interviews by the perpetrators, particularly if they were still roaming footloose and fancy-free, without an iota of remorse for their crimes and also carrying out many more. The trauma to the psyche of the British public will be unbearable, and the BBC would not be willing to pay that price, or risk the legal consequences sure to ensue.
In the era of the Irish Republican Army, the IRA, for example, the group didn’t make it onto the airwaves of the BBC. Indeed, reporting of the activities of the political party seen as the political arm of the IRA, Sein Fein, was heavily censored. Every time they spoke, the BBC deleted their voices and replaced them with those of actors, in obedience to British Government directives which were put in place because the authorities believed publicity is like air for ‘terrorists’ groups, helping them to grow and thrive. And even though Sein Fein shared what many might argue is only an ideological position with the IRA, they were denied a presence on British airwaves in substantial ways.
Here in Nigeria, concerns about the impact the amplification of terrorists’ voices will have both on victims, their families and the public appear to be a secondary consideration to the BBC’s insistence on hearing from the bandits’ first-hand accounts and justification for their murderous activities.
There is no good argument that can justify the damage this is doing to the public that includes the school girls in Jangebe, who can now in perpetuity, watch the story of their abductions from the mouth of their abductors and relive the attendant trauma of that horrible crime.
For all of these school girls, victims and their families, the BBC Africa Eye has confirmed their attackers’ invincibility. By documenting and handing over on a platter of gold one of the most respected media brands in the world to justify their actions, the BBC has iconised violent men leading marauding militias that are killing, abducting, maiming and leaving terror in their wake across large sways of Nigeria and who are clearly neither sorry for their crime nor looking to stop anytime soon.
It is hard to see how this will not contribute to deepening fear, mistrust, hopelessness and damage to the national psyche while undoubtedly helping with recruitment, all ingredients that actively contribute to successful outcomes for terror groups.
The public’s right to know is a sacrosanct tenant of journalists who are not and should not be in the job of censoring news. Finding the balance between that and ensuring media platforms do not provide the oxygen of publicity for terrorists and criminals is not easy, but it is at these difficult junctures that good journalism needs to stand its ground.
Recognising the importance of getting it right globally, experts including those at the BBC have taken the trouble to develop guidelines for reporting difficult stories including stories of conflict and terrorism. The German Press Code for example says “in reporting actual and threatened acts of violence, the Press should carefully weigh the public’s interest in information against the interest of victims and other people involved. It should report on such incidents in an independent and authentic way, but not allow itself to be made the tool of criminals. Nor should it undertake independent attempts to mediate between criminals and the police. THERE MUST BE NO INTERVIEWS WITH PERPETRATORS DURING ACTS OF VIOLENCE.’’
The German guidelines are unequivocal about not giving airtime to criminals involved in ongoing criminal activities and for very good reason. The BBC’s editorial guidelines are more watery, perhaps explaining why the BBC Africa Eye team is able to be cavalier about such a critical issue. But even these guidelines say “any proposal to approach an organisation (or an individual member of an organisation) designated a ‘terrorist group’ by the Home Secretary under the Terrorism Acts, and any proposal to approach individuals or organisations responsible for acts of terror, to participate in our output must be referred in advance to Director Editorial Policy and Standard and also any proposal to broadcast content made by perpetrators of a hijacking, kidnapping, hostage-taking or siege must be referred to a senior editorial figure.’’
The questions to answer therefore include: did senior people in London at the BBC fully understood that they were authorizing the recording of terrorists who are still active and who between them have been responsible for the abduction, rape and killings of thousands of people including school children?
There are other questions.
When homeland terrorists committed the inconceivable crime of hacking British soldier Lee Rigby to death in May 2013, would the BBC have considered it in the public interest to interview these terrorists? To compare apples with apples, imagine that hero Rigby’s murderers were never held for their crimes, continued butchering people and collecting seven figure ransoms., would the BBC dare to send reporters to film the murderers gloating about collecting ransom, and then hold Twitter Spaces and bask in views, clicks and likes?
The answer is NO. The BBC would never dare.
Why then is the BBC okay to fund, then publicise the glorification of practicing murderers still butchering hundreds across Nigeria and the Chad Basin? How did this three-year disregard for African lives come about, and why is this acceptable?
By their own admission, the BBC Africa Eye producers claim their reporting occurred over three-years. This is clearly well before the crime against the school girls in Jangebe occurred. These bandits and their factions commit cross-border crimes. Therefore, as a matter of urgent national and regional security, other questions which the BBC must answer publicly, in the actual interest of the public include:
In all these years it was conducting these ‘investigations’ of terrorists, did the BBC harbour information on potential criminal or or actual crimes they happened an did the BBC withhold this information from the relevant African security authorities?
After the particular interviews in which the murderers admit their collection of ransoms, and committing acts of kidnap, did the BBC hand over any of this footage to the authorities, and do so in a timely manner?
What footage and information has the BBC handed over to law enforcement, since the publication of this documentary?
In covering a subset of criminals for three years, the BBC has brazenly admitted that it was shooting criminals before, during and after the commission of dastardly crimes that have destroyed generations present and unborn.
The BBC Africa Eye documentaries series have been designed specifically for release on social media platforms (Facebook and YouTube). Given the programme’s track record of dubious editorial decisions and accusations of unethical behaviour including by local reporters who worked with them, BBC managers in London should also explain if the decision to put this documentary out on social media was designed to ensure its producers are not held to the high global broadcast standards the BBC is known for and which are applicable to content broadcast within the UK?
When BBC Africa Eye did a story on drug addiction in Nigeria, there were attempts by a producer to sensationalize some of the reporting, to make it more gripping. On that occasion, he was working with a seasoned and brave journalist who pushed back.
When they did a story on Sex for Grades, the two reporters responsible for the story ended up trading blame on social media over sex for by-line allegations. Again, the producers didn’t come out smelling of roses.
An investigative report by them on a popular talk show host in Nigeria who is revered by millions saw the journalist who did that reporting flee his home together with his family as a result of threats to his life. The BBC failed in its duty of care to this local journalist and in the end fellow journalists had to rally around to provide him with safe spaces.
In all, the team at BBC Africa Eye appear to be striving to do reporting that would be unacceptable in the UK for being unethical and transparently against public interest.
The problem is they have capitalised on the justified anger of the people and the inconceivable failure of the government, to once again resurrect the ugliest vestiges of colonialism, which one had hoped were long buried.
The unfolding anarchy and violence in Nigeria are serious matters, and every attempt must be made to keep the public informed. A documentary that investigates and examines government failures while centring victims and their families would have done that.
Giving boastful, bloodthirsty criminals a global platform serves only two purposes. It provides free publicity for terror and enables the BBC to push viewership figures on social media.
It does nothing for public service. Even if it does not realise it, the BBC’s reputation for stellar public service journalism is being damaged.
Black lives, their humanity and national security, should matter more than clicks.
Hopefully someone in London will take note.
Kadaria Ahmed was a Senior Producer at the BBC in London and is now CEO at Radio Now 95.3FM Lagos
Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara has described those who are supporting Muslim-Muslim Presidential ticket of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as ungodly.
Dogara, a member of the party, stressed that the position of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), on the matter is the position of God, emphasizing that CAN’s position is not only the position of notable Christian leaders like Babachir David Lawal, the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation and many others who have spoken against it, but also God’s position.
The former speaker, who spoke today, July 27 at CAN’s 12th General Assembly and Leadership Transition programme, in Abuja, said: “we serve the God of justice, our God is righteous, our God is the author of diversity, and He wants as diverse as we are to come together.
“So, CAN’s position, as much as it is a righteous position, it is the position of all of us who love righteousness, justice, diversity and are working to harness it for the advancement of this country.”
Dogara, who is a member of the APC, said that anybody can say anything but that in as much as what “we are standing on is godly, any other position is ungodly. It is either you are for righteousness, inclusiveness, justice or you are against the unity of this great country.”
He said that for any change to be achieved in a country, the right leaders needed to be in place, insisting that “everyone has a talent to better the society and country.
“All of us are talented; talents are not to be hidden or silenced; they are to be used to impact and enhance development in a country.
“We will have to someday account for how we used the talents to repair and develop the earth.”
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President Muhammadu Buhari has listed Nigeria’s gains from participating in Open Government Partnership (OGP), through joining the transparency body in 2016.
Police in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja has evolved plans of taking the fight to the identified camps of rampaging terrorists in recent time.
President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed condolences over the death of Abdulhamid Babatunde, whom he described as “a famous journalist and writer” who served as editor of several newspaper titles, including the defunct, Kaduna-based Democrat.
Chief Judge of Akwa Ibom State, Justice Ekaette Obot has sent a lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, to jail for one month from the courtroom even as he also ordered the arrest of a Premium Times reporter, Saviour Imukudo, over a case of defamation between Akwa Ibom State governor, Udom Emmanuel and a lawyer, Leo Ekpenyong.
It has simply gotten out of hand.
As Veteran Editor, My Mentor, Abdulhamid Babatunde Bows Out, By Yusuf Ozi Usman
The death, yesterday, July 27, 2022 in Kaduna, of one of the few veteran editors and thorough-bred journalists of our time, Alhaji Abdulhamid Babatunde Agaka came as a rude shock and surprise to those of us that have admired his writing prowess and sharp editorial judgment, but it didn’t look surprise to him.
In fact, Abdulhamid Babatunde had always believed strongly that sooner or later, he would return to his maker, especially as he began to see his children growing. As a matter of fact, I had a chance meeting with him in Abuja a couple of years ago after a decade since we parted, and in the course of discussion, he veered into personal issues, asking me about my children, three of whose naming ceremonies he attended back then in Gworon Dutse, in the Kano main municipality. I also, naturally asked after Ahmad, his eldest son, whose naming ceremony I also attended in the early 80’s at No-man’s land in the Sabon Gari area of Kano.
In response, he said: ‘”Ahmad is now a big boy. He is even taller than me now. In fact, when your child grows up to the point where he can conveniently use your shoes or shirts, you should know that your time (death) in this world is just around the corner. We have paid our dues and just waiting for us to return to where we came.”
In fact, when I was employed in 1982 by the New Nigerian newspapers, a Federal Government owned newspapers, founded in Kaduna along with the Federal Radio Corporation by late Sardauna of Sokoto and Premier of the Northern Nigeria, Sir Ahmadu Bello in the 60’s, I was instantly posted to Kano where Abdulhamid Babatunde held sway as the newspapers State Editor. I was to assist him in the news coverage of the old Kano State, now divided into Kano and Jigawa States.
It was a joyride for the two years I worked under Abdulhamid Babatunde. He was not only a teacher, showing me, as young reporter (just two years in the profession) how to gather news and how to write them, especially the intros, he also became a friend and confidant, to the extent that when he was marrying his wife, an Igbo lady, named Stella, who later changed her name to Salamatu, he involved me fully in the preparations. As at the time they married, Salamatu was actually a lady Journalist too.
Not quite two years after I joined him in Kano, Abdulhamid Babatunde was transferred to the Headquarters in Kaduna, where he eventually became the chairman of the Editorial Board of the newspaper organization. I was left in Kano as acting State Editor. That was the first major parting the two of us had. But we still maintained staccato contacts, either through my visits to the headquarters for one official reason or the other or his few-and-far-between visits to Kano.
Sometime towards the end of 1987, I had a serious issue with the then the military President of Nigeria, General Ibrahim Babangida via a story I wrote about his wife, late Mariam. The story was published in the newspaper. I was locked up for three months at Ilaro prison in Ogun State after being arrested at the Kano International Airport, when the aircraft I traveled in from Saudi Arabia landed. When I was released after several “shouts” by various bodies, including the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), the New Nigerian Newspapers management sacked me without giving me an opportunity to explain myself.
It was Abdulhamid Babantunde who, as I reflect in my soon-to-be published autobiography, gave me a word of courage thus: “from what had happened, you should’ve expected that the New Nigerian newspapers would sack you. You know they (the Federal Government) own it hundred percent. Anywhere you would wish to find a job, let me know so that I would render whatever assistance I can.” – (November 30, 1987).
Not quite long after, late Ismaila Isa Funtua invited Abdulhamid Babatunde to help set up a new national newspaper, called The Democrat and made him (Abdulhamid Babatunde) the pioneer Editor of the newspaper, with Gabriel Abutu as an acting Editor of the Weekend version of the newspaper.
After several attempts at securing another job failed, as the officers of the State Security Service (SSS) continued to trail me (secretly) to anywhere I sought an employment, as a way of frustrating me out of the profession, I ran to Abdulhamid Babatunde in Kaduna, who instantly employed me, damning the consequences. He was threatened by the officers of the SSS but he would not bug. He posted me back to Kano as State Editor in 1989.
That was the way of Alhaji Abdulhamid Babatunde. He was very courageous, dexterous in service and professional all through in the art of journalism and writing. He, indeed, was a prolific writer, so much that he became the power behind all the writings that were attributed to one of the outspoken politicians of our time, late Wada Nas, and many others.
Abdulhamid Babatunde, who was born on February 26, 1956, joined the service of the New Nigerian newspapers, the pioneer Northern newspaper based in Kaduna, in 1974.
He attended Capital School Kaduna, before proceeding to Barewa College Zaria and Government Secondary School Ilorin.
Abdulhamid Babatunde, in the bid for excellence in Journalism, attended several media trainings, workshops and conferences at home and abroad, and was an alumnus of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos.
The late veteran journalist also held executive positions in the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), where he was a Fellow.
Alhaji Abdulhamid Babatunde, who was once the Secretary of the Jokolo Committee set up by then President Olusegun Obasanjo, in 1999, is survived by four children: Ahmad, Maryam, Halima and Abdulhamid (Jnr).
He is also survived by other siblings, including Malam Ismail Ila Agaka, a former Managing Director of Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) and Ilyasu Baba Agaka, a Director at the Presidency among others.
I would say that I also feel a great sense of loss in view of the positive roles he played in my formative years as journalist. Even after retiring from active practice as he settled for consultancy work, he had kept monitoring my progress in the profession, so much that he virtually married himself to Greenbarge Reporters, an online newspaper I floated in 2012 after I too, voluntarily retired from serving others. He used to sometimes make comments, either commending the news items I featured on the platform or correct some of them.
While, I wait for my turn in the journey to the place we all came from, I wish Abdulhamid Babatunde Allah’s forgiveness of his sins; the ones he committed knowing and others he committed without knowing them; and a peaceful rest in the bosom of the Lord, and eventually, Al-Jannatu Firdausi.
Yusuf Ozi Usman is the Editor-In-Chief of Greenbarge Reporters online newspaper and Chief Executive Officer of the Greenbarge Media and Communications Limited based in Abuja, Nigeria.