KWARA AND DETENTION OF JOURNALIST OVER WHATSAPP CHATS

I want to commend Rafiu Ajakaye, Kwara Governor’s Chief Press Secretary efforts since the inception of the Abdulrahman’s administration.  His prudent reflection, logic, and brilliant composition through his writings to debunk, and set records straight are top-notch.

Contrarily, I want to use this medium as one of his readers and as a journalist, and columnist to express my disappointment on how he handled the issue of Journalists detained in Kwara State because of allegations levied against him and his excellency on a WhatsApp group platform. Why would Rafiu be so tempted and frustrated to deploy that channel as a means of defense? Didn’t he realize at this critical moment his principal needs more constructive engagements as the terrain of Kwara State politics is getting murkier?

 I had once sent a message to Rafiu’s inbox to stop engaging in chit-chats on WhatsApp groups when I noticed his intermittent response to allegations on a particular WhatsApp platform. Engaging in chit-chat not only belittles him but is also a trap of temptation to misuse his office. Rafiu, you are the mouthpiece whose assignments have nothing to do with engaging in chit-chats. There are other media aides who can function as WhatsApp warriors.

Sir, the premise on which the Akoguns were detained is trivial and needless. This will only stir a needless media crisis. If people who have given ‘Thief’nubu, A’thief’ku, Articu’looted’, Ob’idiots’, Obi’dents’, or Obituary appellations to Presidential candidates with heavy allegations on social media are being arrested, how many youths or media users will remain on the street?  You were accused of sponsoring the NUJ election on a WhatsApp group and your accusers were remanded. What will you do if such claim is published in the national daily? Will you send them to life imprisonment? Sir, your weapon is neither police nor court of law, your weapon is weaving words into lines to clear the air. Those journalists detained have gained public sympathy in the court of public opinion and rebuked your attempt at the court of law. As a journalist, I believe you know that this kind of scene will transmogrify into a national issue the more those people remain in remand. It is likely to be a topic of discussion on Arise News, Channels, and radio stations or even form the point of opinion for the columnists. How many people did you want to tell your own side of the story that the whole scene happened on the WhatsApp group?

Sir, no administration is perfect, allegations from all quarters are meant to occur, that’s not news in Nigeria. Allegations will never come from your supporters, they will come from the opposition, civil society, or journalists who want transparency and good governance, they may appear to be biased in their engagements but yours is to tell us the allegations are unfounded, not to write a petition that will lead to arrest. Establishing a defamation case while you are in government is funny sir. I can’t count several times citizens have defamed President Buhari. Since you are in government, yours is not the first and won’t be the last. You are in power and many things both true and untrue will be said about your administration. Reacting with enforcement agencies is a show of superiority. You need not fall into trap of further temptation for posterity purposes. This is my candid advice, sir. I wish you and your principal the best of luck in the coming election.

Usman Issa, Offa, Kwara State