“It is wise to direct your anger towards problems – not people, to focus your energies on answers – not excuses.”
-William Arthur Ward
It has been a dramatic week for Ahmad Isah and all members of Berekete Human Rights Foundation. He caught the eyes of mudslingers since his altercation with one Ms. Susan, the woman who attempted to murder her little niece kept in her care by setting her ablaze. The week went soar for the organization, as its founder/CEO — the Ordinary President was summoned in and out of investigative/interrogative sessions from FCT police command headquarters to National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) offices etc.
He (having no skeleton in his cupboard) courageously obliged all the invitations without hesitation. What got minds agitated was the asynchronous spontaneity with which all of them came in series. While he was facing one questioning session, the other is beckoning. He was subjected to some sort of inquisition of the medieval ages. Suspense gripped all his admirers, beneficiaries and workers alike. What could be the outcome of all these series of queries that looked every inch an extrinsic malevolent conspiracy to get him down.
Then came May 27 (Children’s Day). Ahmad was in his usual self: organising a mini-children’s day party, in his office, to celebrate these future leaders of Nigeria whom he loved tenderly. He did bountiful giveaways to motivate them. While he was busy with his patriotic philanthropy, something distasteful was cooking somewhere in the neighbourhood, at Plot 20, Ibrahim Taiwo street, Asokoro Abuja — the NBC headquarters.
A letter of sanction was being typed. The fate of Berekete Human Rights radio station for the next 30 days was being sealed. An invective operational embargo was incubating against the media outfit. No sooner had his time with the kids elapsed than the sanction arrived! The station was suspended and its license of operation seized; to be reclaimed with a fine of 5million naira. It was devastating news to all lovers of truth and justice.
Over the course of the years, Ahmad had been dexterous in upholding unwavering integrity in his service to humanity. An ancient Latin adage read “Ego servo a recendentia maioribus vinco quam meus superbia, Ego servo Verum.” (I serve a far greater Master than my own pride – the Truth). Ordinary Ahmad has proved an inviolable follower of this principle. And that was why this sanction is ladden with far-reaching implications on the sensibility of the society.
First, NBC has switched off the voices of Nigerian masses who have been heard louder through the station. The regulatory body has denied them the only avenue for fair hearing and speedy dispensation of justice. Berekete family radio has been the most viable alternative route for peaceful conflict resolution. By this sanction, NBC has taken the people two steps backward in justice dispensation. The microphone of the common Nigerian is now off.
Secondly, there were some inconsistencies contained in the notice of sanction made public by NBC. The body acknowledged the sincere apology tendered by Ordinary President on his loss of temperance in handling the case in question. They also acknowledged that through this medium he had been impacting lives positively. Yet they went ahead to hatch a plot to suspend him. In fact, in their own words: “The NBC appreciates the popularity of the station and the fact that it has in many cases tuned its many programmes to the yearnings of the people.”
Interestingly, they damned the same “people” and gave such spiteful verdict. In the letter, they also claimed to have “over the years, advised, cautioned, warned and fined the station over repeated cases of ouright abuse, denigrating remarks, intimidation and flagrant abuse of ethics of fairness, balance and fair hearing on the station.” This leaves much to be desired. How could a station be uplifting the “people” as you noted a moment ago, and at the same time be “intimidating,” “abusing,” “denigrating,” and denying the privilege of “fair hearing” to Nigerian people? And to deepen the contradiction, they failed to cite those past incidents in which they claimed Ordinary President, flaunted the alleged orders and ethnics of broadcasting. Or was there no documented evidence of the incidents?
This paints an irredentistic picture of giving a dog bad name in order to hang it. It showcased a vested vindictive grouse against Mr. Isah and his organization as I noted in my column earlier last week, titled: “UNJUST JUSTICE: A hard look at Ahmad Isah’s ordeal.” Otherwise, Sen. Elisha Abbo who earned for himself the title of “slapping senator” should have faced similar sanction in his political career, after he mercilessly beat a sales Lady, in a sex toy shop in Wuse, Abuja on May 11, 2019.
NBC should learn to direct their anger towards problems not persons, focus their energies on answers not excuses, as William Arthur Ward noted in the opening phrase of this piece.
Thirdly, this will further affect our already anaemic global corruption perception index negatively in the soon-to-be released 2021 Q3 report by Transparency International. And as usual, once it’s published, government attack dogs will attempt to contest it with attenuated logics and warped reasoning.
The embargo also portrayed how low the moral standard of this country has gone. Our national moral barometer is faulty if not non-existent. Today, no one talks about the Lady who admitted on camera to have committed the nefarious crime of arsonism against an innocent teen, which led to this brouhaha in the first place. All mane and canines of predators like NBC, are out to tear into pieces, a civil rights crusader, cosmopolitan philanthropist and detribalized nationalist like Ahmad Isah, for intervening and succouring the kid victim.
Much as the Ordinary President would not encourage mass protest against this, from thousands of his beneficiaries and admirers, among whom he enjoys cult followership, it is pertinent for future references that his legal team analyze the sanction and make informed decisions on how best to handle it.
And all well-meaning Nigerians should, in the interest of justice and fairness stand against this anachronistic gauntlets being thrown on the Ordinary President. NBC has the option of toeing the path of honour by reviewing, rephrasing or revoking the sanction; or face the indictment of posterity for allowing itself be used to obfuscate an ombudsman and suffocate the voice of Nigerian masses at this period in our history when human rights violation is at all time high.
Ogechukwu writes via
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