By Udom Inoyo
Your invitation letter, dated July 5, 2021, nicely passed on an important message. You want me to utilize this platform for a discourse that is intended to enrich the contents of the Akwa Ibom Project. This is very laudable. Although the invitation came at a busy time, I could not turn it down. My presence here today underscores the importance I attach to, not just what you do, but what you stand for.
I noted that you gave me the liberty to choose any topic for discussion. Though I consider this a privilege, it turned out to be a rather herculean task given the array of experts gathered here this afternoon. As we know, journalists are perceived to know everything about something, or at the very worst, know something about everything. Ordinarily, I would have selected a topic related to the economy, or human capacity development, but I have opted to venture into your space, as the conscience of the society, and to share my perspectives on some missing building blocks which are foundational to our success as a people. I am not talking about complex matters but those things we all teach our children/wards at home and learn in Sunday school classes.
I am referring to things that are part of our culture and folklore, and which are carefully penned in all relevant government documents and our laws but today, are hardly given a fillip by many in society. These are things we have deliberately jettisoned and yet, somehow, we expect, that maybe by divine intervention, we can make progress as a people. Make no mistake, we are on a journey to nowhere except we retrace our steps and begin to do things properly. So long as we continue to disregard our moral pathway, it would be difficult to make progress and be a part of the respected community of nations. This is not necessarily my prediction, but yours too! The signs are already troubling, as daily, you bring to us pieces of information that validate this position. So, if you want an appropriate title for my remarks today, you can label it: YOUR PEN, OUR FUTURE!
As we all know, Hard Work, Discipline and Character, have taken a back seat in our society. Those amongst you who continue to drum into our ears the need to act with honour and do things properly are now viewed as prophets of old. You are chastised and left to lurch in solitude. It has now become fashionable to be ‘correct’ in your reporting, not wanting to stir the hornet’s nest. So, let me upfront salute those who have decided to remain steadfast, bold, and honest; determining not to behave as if everyone is captured by an incubus or succubus powers.
As some of you may know, I started my career as an Administrative Officer in the then Cross River State and later worked with Akwa Ibom State civil service, before joining ExxonMobil. It was a system where merit was valued. How do I know? I was barely one month old in my employment when I opted to participate in the compulsory Administrative Officers’ examination. It was a risk because not passing the examination after two attempts would result in being moved from that ‘exalted’ cadre that was eligible to birth Permanent Secretaries in those days. However, a pass, at first attempt guaranteed automatic promotion to the next salary grade. I passed all the subjects, resulting in a promotion while still under probation. That experience, grounded in hard work reminded me of the cliché: no venture, no success. I was diligent at work and had the distinct honour of being the Officer who escorted the pioneer military governor of this state, then Colonel Tunde Ogbeha, for his swearing-in ceremony at Dodan Barracks, Lagos. I worked closely with his successor, then Colonel Godwin Abbe, a man who taught me never to assume that those in leadership positions are unaware of the contributions of their subordinates. Abbe trusted me and would sometimes solicit my input on serious state matters considered sensitive for someone at my salary level. I remained consistent in offering honest advice, in the interest of the state, and never seeking pecuniary interest. When I notified him that I was joining ExxonMobil he was happy for my accomplishment while also regretting the loss of a good staff. But I was surprised that he would ask me not only to find a successor for my boss but also get him a Chief Press Secretary. He accepted both candidates. That was in 1989. Where did I get these character traits that would make a military governor find me trustworthy? The family!
My father, who passed away 10 years ago, was a Permanent Secretary in the service of the Cross River State Government. When he died, I was proud of how he lived his life and what he implanted in us. His was a life of hard work, contentment, integrity, and fear of God. He walked the talk on several fronts. As a committed Christian and an Elder in Qua Iboe Church of Nigeria, he knew that the most effective way to evangelize was through the power of personal example. A few examples will suffice.
As the pioneer Company Secretary/Chief Accountant of the Cross River State Housing Corporation, Calabar, and later the Acting Head of Corporation, he had only a plot of land. No property was warehoused in the name of his wife and seven children. Even later, when he would facilitate the establishment of today’s Ewet Housing Estate in Uyo, he had no plot of land allocated to him.
As one entrusted by the late Brigadier-General Udokaha Jacob Esuene, Governor of the then South-Eastern State, to set up the State Treasury shortly after the Nigeria civil war, he made sure that no money was missing. He was so prudent that on one of his several trips to Port Harcourt to collect the state money from the Central Bank of Nigeria, there were insufficient funds to settle the hotel bills of the security escorts. Rather than resort to the unauthorized use of government money in his possession, he made a personal pledge to settle the indebtedness on his next trip.
I will never forget offering my father N300.00 in 1988, and he refused to accept it, querying the source. He had retired from service, and though I was an Administrative Officer on grade level 9, he thought the amount was too much for me to pull out of my savings. To date, I still visualize my hands stretched out and listening to his interrogations. He was always interested in the source of everything in our possession and my friends who would visit, especially in cars that seemed off the economic mark, did not escape such scrutiny. It did not matter if those cars belonged to their parents. I had a good laugh when Isong Isang visited with his Volkswagen car, and I cheerfully announced that he was a pharmacist and playing professional football with Calabar Rovers.
I know that today, some of us would consider his actions unwise, and he may even be abused for blocking the chances of others. But I thank God he lived that way. When he died, there was unanimity about the epitaph on his tombstone: ‘Chief (Dr.) Uko Inoyo, A man of Faith and Servant of God. He stood for what was right, even if it meant standing alone.’’ Gentlemen, above represent my pedigree, and I am not ashamed of them. I pray that at the end of my sojourn on earth, I would be lucky to have the same said of me. I am a contented person.
Today, Nigeria is on its knees because most of us are complicit in burying its glory. While it is fashionable to condemn persons in positions of authority or those in far-away places, at an individual level, we do worse things. Integrity seems to have departed from us, and our hallowed institutions; including positions that used to be held in reverence are now butts of jokes. There is an obvious clash of values, with only a few persons desirous of doing things the right way. These days, it is fashionable to kowtow to anyone with money with little or no care as to the source. We embrace persons inculcating in our young ones a beggarly culture, and yet pretend to want a state grounded on sound economic principles. Even persons deliberately investing in the future of the state and the next generation, by way of industrialization, food security, education, and job creation are constantly attacked. We welcome instant gratification which any reasonable person should know is unsustainable. There is a fundamental conflict of values, and we must change the narrative to avert a disastrous end. This is where you, gentlemen of the press, come in. As the conscience of society, you have a crucial role to play.
I have never wavered in my beliefs on the critical role of the 4th Estate of the Realm as a change agent, and needless to bore you with historical antecedents of your many accomplishments in this regard. Growing up, I desired to be one of you, but when a few of my articles were not published, I thought I was not good enough. But I learned so much reading thought-provoking articles by journalists, including our very own Uncle Ray Ekpu, which, at some point, ‘gingered’ me to seek enlistment in the Nigerian Army. How can I also forget those must-read columns in the Nigerian Chronicle that were not intended to blackmail people or destroy political enemies but simply to put the government on its toes and change the society, a civic obligation that is more paramount today! I am sure some of us can remember a column called Eavesdropper, which had a permanent ‘Rider’: “The column that brings you the important things you don’t notice but are happening around you” written by our current Deputy Governor, His Excellency, Moses Ekpo. Another column titled ‘Signor Tofu’ which we came to know was penned by Elder Onofiok Ufot, the then Registrar of the University of Calabar, was also a must-read! How many of such thought-provoking columns do we have today? What impact are we having on government policies or societal values?
I was and remain passionate about being a change agent, wherever I find myself, and I know that you also are; a reason that makes me have so much respect for you all. I am not naïve about the vagaries confronting you and the profession today, but I beg you never to surrender. If you do, then our society is doomed!
So, what should we be doing to lighten your burden?
I do not walk in your shoes and therefore cannot fully articulate your daily challenges. But there are a few things I can discern from the high number of journalists in Akwa Ibom state, and that includes the republican nature of our people, a commitment to freedom from all vagaries of life, and an appetite for knowledge. It may therefore not be wrong to assert that it is not wealth that drives people into journalism but rather, it is the appetite to gain, gather and share information, knowledge, and especially to be the watchdog of society; and to drive positive change. If that is true, what therefore should we be doing to support, encourage and empower you to succeed?
For almost two decades, and especially with the establishment of the Inoyo Toro Foundation in 2007, it has not been lost on me the yearning for an opportunity in capacity building across almost all sectors of Nigeria’s economy. Beyond teachers in Akwa Ibom State public secondary schools, the Foundation has severally intervened in the knowledge space and is presently partnering with the Nigerian Bar Association, Uyo Branch, on a series of training for lawyers in the state. I would like to engage further with the NUJ Executive to know how we can collaborate in your space. Given the inherent knowledge and reach of journalists, you must be open to innovations as a means of enabling the economic growth of members of this noble profession. I will financially support this collaboration.
Akwa Ibom state has enormous potentials, but sometimes it does appear that we are unwilling to fully utilize one of our God-endowed resources, the human capital. We are a small compact state with incredibly talented indigenes all over the globe, most of whom are willing to make their contributions towards the growth of the state. We must harvest these talents and put them to work for our general good and upliftment. I want to challenge you today that when you get back home, in the quietness of your inner chambers, you pen down a dozen indigenes of this state whose voices are respected on major national issues. If you can, I will gladly take a bet. We have used our hands to destroy some of our finest, often on account of politics, and yet we want to be beneficiaries of the collective fortunes of Nigeria. Our zero-sum style of politics must stop, just as we must banish the culture of ‘eboette’ (rumour-mongering) which has encouraged this destructive behaviour. The era of factual reporting for the general good of our society must return, especially if we desire to raise, build, and support youths who are daring to conquer the world.
We must deliberately offer our people hope and not despair, just as institutions of government and their officials must be held to account. Our collective focus must remain a tide that lifts all boats, and not just a few boats. And you know what to do.
Conclusion:
Permit me to commend the National Assembly for finally passing a Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB). It has been nearly two decades, but we can heave a sigh of relief that when the Bill finally receives the President’s assent, we will have a new legal framework that will drive investment in the sector. I do appreciate that there are some contentious provisions in the Bill passed by the two chambers of the National Assembly, which must be addressed urgently, holistically, and especially in consideration of the plight of the host communities. While this is being done, let us not delay the willingness of a critical party, the investors, from bringing in the investment dollar for unlocking the resources in the sector.
May I also advise us not to take a back seat on national issues, one of which is the current question of national unity? As those largely from the south-south region of Nigeria, Akwa Ibom journalists must be fully conscious of their historic duty to contribute to the debate on the future of Nigeria, by whatever name it is called—either restructuring or regionalization. You, and our people, must be informed about the issues at stake with clarity of purpose. Discourse on our future must not be left to only political actors, and any story from Uyo should adequately reflect the mood of the people here.
History will remind us how in the 1960s and 1970s, journalists based in Kaduna were at the core of the famous Kaduna Mafia, the intellectual engine of the northern political elite. If you wanted to gauge the northern political barometer, you had to read Mamman Daura (yes, the same Mamman Daura), Adamu Ciroma, Ibrahim Tahir, Mvendaga Jibo, and others in Kaduna-based New Nigerian. It is therefore important for you to know that you have a duty in this regard. After all, as my long-standing friend and your colleague, Kayode Komolafe of Thisday Newspapers often reminds us, journalists are indeed public intellectuals. And I agree with him.
Finally, let me draw your attention to one more thing which you can do for yourselves, and by extension, society. It is called differentiation. Many self-styled journalists may be doing damage to this noble profession. You must help separate the wheat from the chaff so that the integrity of journalism remains undiluted.
Just this week, we woke up to a screaming headline in one of the state-based tabloids suggesting that I had a meeting two months ago in Calabar with His Excellency, Donald Duke, and the reporter must have been so important to be privy to Donald’s conversation with Governor Udom Emmanuel that ‘Inoyo is a Hard Sale’. This is complete falsehood and a mischievous creation of a fiction writer. While I will never border to debunk such falsehood it would be better if all practitioners would uphold the basic tenets of journalism in their daily practice, which includes Truth, Accuracy, Objectivity, Social Responsibility, etc.
Additionally, I have in my professional life witnessed a rush to judgment on any matter affecting our own, while we are willing to cut outsiders some slacks. For example, despite the testimonies of the Honourable Minister for Labour and Employment, Mr. Femi Falana, SAN, and Razak Obe, immediate past Chairman of PENGASSAN, ExxonMobil Nigeria, there is still false propaganda in this state that I was caused the sack of former Supernumerary Police in Mobil. Whatever happened to investigative journalism?
Remember, it took only two Washington Post, investigative reporters, Bob Woodward, and Carl Bernstein, backed by a determined editor, Ben Bradlee, to expose a corrupt political system and force a sitting American President, Richard Nixon, out of office. Their action also led to the jailing of more than 40 people including America’s chief law officer, the Attorney General of the United States. Remember Nigerian history indicates that when all else failed, it was an investigative reporter, Chief Segun Osoba, who discovered the corpse of the first Prime Minister of Nigeria after the 1966 coup. Today, there is the Freedom of Information Law that could help reporters do more than what others did, in the past. You do not need to bring down a government or discover a missing corpse, but you can do a lot to help the government and society through truthful investigative reporting.
Mr. Chairman, I have thought of what I could do as my little contribution to the NUJ in Akwa Ibom State with regards to this matter. Anywhere that I have gone in this world when people talk about journalism, one individual comes to my mind first. He is a great son of Akwa Ibom State, an international award-winning journalist, who rose from a position of insignificance to that of global prominence. It is in honour of this high priest of quality reporting that I hereby request the Exco to accept the institution of an annual award to be called: RAY EKPU AWARD FOR INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM. This award, to be administered annually by a panel of five first-class journalists comprising: two celebrated veteran journalists; one national officer of the Nigerian Guild of Editors; a nominee of the award sponsor; and the State Chairman of the NUJ is aimed at encouraging quality, factual investigative reporting in Akwa Ibom State and Nigeria at large. The prize money for the winner of this award each year is N500, 000.00 (Five Hundred Thousand Naira). But the journalist must be operating from Akwa Ibom State.
Also, I understand some journalists have an immediate need for laptops, and I will make 5 available to the Chairman. This will also be in addition to a purse to kick-start the capacity development program.
Gentlemen of the Press, I thank you for this opportunity to engage. Please be reminded that our future is in your hands. May your ink never run dry!
- Udom Inoyi delivered the speech at the Congress of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Akwa Ibom State Council, on July 30, 2021 in Uyo where he instituted the Ray Ekpu Award for Investigative Journalism
