Without sentiments, while I join many concerned Citizens in the State in their clarion call to order of one Mr. UKANDI ODEY, I decided to lend my voice on not just the abuse of privilege of Constitutional Right to Freedom of Expression, but the manner in which integrity of the revered profession of Journalism is being compromised or abused in such an embarrassing proportion. This I chose to do for the records and out of concern that politics and advocacies must be played with morality and exemplary conduct.
I have been a long acquaintance of Mr. Ukandi for close to two decades now. This acquaintance is also along with many other Professional Journalists that we have blended so well, sharing ideas on topical national and international issues till date. So, I am in a sufficiently good position to critically assess and write a Referee’s Report on his person and antecedents.
It is worrisome that Ukandi is at it again in an attitude I refer to as one too many, close to an infantile disorder in disparaging and maligning the personal integrities of some elder statemen. In a recent article, titled, “Plateau APC And Appeal Court’s Integrity Crisis,” Ukandi chose to blame the Appeal Court over the PDP’s woes in being sacked, despite the obvious reasons of being victim of its own integrity tests and disobedience to judgment orders. Worst still is the choice to malign the persons of General Jermiah T. Useni (Rtd), former Governor Simon B. Lalong, and Justice Monica Dongban-Menssem, President of the Court of Appeal.
In his vitriolic writing, devoid of elementary courtesy and respect for both professionalism and elderly persons, he alluded to the fact that these respected elder statesmen have been taking side on Party issues at the detriment of the “ruling” PDP. Clearly, PDP’s evolutionary history is one of mixed grill, which Ukandi was probably not well informed about. However, in some rejoinders, good accounts have been given about the Party’s challenges from whence it started very well before summersaulting through its acts of Commission and Omission. In a flip-flop attitude and where the “bread is well buttered,” to Ukandi, PDP is a “Religion” and a matter of life and death, even at the expense of the peace, security and mutual co-existence of the good people of Plateau State.
Most often, even as a “Journalist” purportedly a Teacher and Mentor of younger Mentees, if he is not writing a “politically-motivated and inciteful commissioned script” for a pittance or fiduciary reasons, he is up as a “one-man riot squad” to settle personal scores as against any seminal, patriotic and objective criticisms. Ukandi cast innuendos on virtually anyone who doesn’t vibrate on the same wavelength with his “primodial thoughts” as if such persons are non-functional at all.
All these attitudes I regard as crude metaphors of mirrors and reflections that are commonly and mischievously handed out even in the face of glaring truth. He certainly does not have monopoly of being a “noise maker” or exhibiting undue radicalism under the clime of freedom of expression. Personal responses on wide-ranging issues such as the on-going Tribunal, Appeal and Supreme Court cases coming from a good Journalist should be predicated on the premise of TRUTH and what true and patriotic journalism should be. This should not abuse privileges and goodwill of the people that have been very good host to all and sundry.
Ukandi needlessly takes pleasure or liberty in criticism. I view him as one hedonistic personality, so compounded in making a caricature and emptiness of himself for the glamour rather than absolute responsibility to the society. I think it is high time he is also taken to the cleaners of moral rectitude as he thrives in doing.
Watching his phenomenal development over the years here in Plateau State, here was an ambitious and determined Youngman that was fairly objective in his appraisal of issues, to the extent of being closely equated as a patriotic “Adversarial Journalist,” with capacity to deploy combative and oppositional reportage, but in a civilized and polite manner. However, over the years, since venturing into a clearly partisan politics, his appearances in both the print and electronic media have seen him consistently being a casualty oF self-glorification, Overthinking, Tripping Up and Fumbling like the “Centipede’s Dilemma” that I recently alluded to in one of my public commentaries.
Taking Ukandi to the cleaner on how not to use his professional calling of Journalism and denigrate people and Institutions is the most appropriate thing to do for the good of a system; lest he continues living in delusion and El-dorado. Thus, it is most appropriate placing Ukandi in the category of people with coconut-shaped and amoebic thoughts as manifested on their stone faces. Here is someone who is fun of disparaging elder statesmen and their life accomplishments, which himself will aspire to attain same in life, some day. Exhibition of uncouth attitude portends poor background upbringing and embarrassment to any professional calling and integrity of the organization being represented.
I have had course in the past to caution people who thrive or survive on cheap freelance for a token of “bride price.” The cheap journalism being exhibited on the Plateau by this overzealous lot is against the spirit we grew up and witnessed. This is even most outrageous and discourteous given that Plateau State made its Magnum Opus as the Bastion of Journalistic Ethic and Practice in both the Print and Electronic media in Nigeria. Over the years (and most probable, before Ukandi was born), especially in its formative and peak years of journalism, Plateau State, through several of its media organs had built an unrivalled reputation that have been emulated, world-wide; devoid of any form of “gutter or back-street journalism”. Therefore, as politics is not madness, our hard-earned reputation should not be degraded with low quality opinions and background noise that diminish personal and institutional integrities.
Ukandi whose contribution to journalistic practice and public commentaries have over time degenerated to very embarrassing proportion needs be reminded of the imperative to indulge in objective criticisms with solutions for the societal good. We should not encourage and tolerate people with toxic maneuvers to be of exemplary conduct to our upcoming youths and leaders of tomorrow eho should be placing high premium on journalism as a potent weapon of education and enlightenment. As an advisory exposition, the young man should embrace and practice the doctrine of “journalism of affirmation” because it is more appealing and less confusing to a gullible audience. It ensures that misinformation that are resonated in the marketplace of ideas are transparently neutralized, because truth of facts and reasons do not occur cheaply. This pursuit requires intellectual discipline, vigilance, memory and above all, loyalty to the system we are all serving.
The quality of professional display, bundle of contradictions and conscientious ignorance that are neither here nor there, just to suit a political interest and sympathy is worrisome. Ukandi should note that disseminating toxic and misleading information to the public domain do not add up these days and impugns on his personal and professional integrities. In any conscientious society, particularly with the fourth realm or the press, “the function of truth is to bring to light what is hidden,” thus exuding picture of reality not falsehood. No where in his assertions has he spoken truth of facts and reasons even against the overwhelming tactical blunders committed by his pasty of sympathy, the PDP! With humility and as a teacher of old and indeed a Fisher man, I know that the first principle of journalism, namely Truth and truthful writing requires commitment and dedication to the process of verification for a balancing act of reportage. False balance amounts to distortion as often portended and reflected in his writings and verbal renditions.
Never bothering to constructively engage in research and fact-finding, despite the calmness and openness in this clime clearly portends Ukandi’s inability to indulge in due diligence. These have led to his exhibition of famished and lethargic ideas about a people and State as well as undermining the fundamental axiom that “facts are sacred, but comments are free.” Mr. Ukandi should note that in his delusional thoughts, if he must comment or contribute on matters of public interest, it should be with clarity of thoughts on germane policy issues. Policy as “purposeful course of action designed to attain salient and set objectives for the common good” are not matters to be handled with disdain or bought from “Jankara Market” and thinks he can be pontificating anyhow.
Any criticism or accusation about people and policies must be blended with innate capacity to clarify implementations and sustainability strategies, and not the bogus theoretical framework on governance and politics that he indulges in whenever he makes appearances on the print and electronic media. Too much noise and verbosity, it is said, lead to much errors or blunders. Feeding the public with toxic sentiments have merely been belittling and making his Clients a laughing stock.
Let me further remind Ukandi that in applied journalism, investigative journalism that calls for critical thinking is the real spice for any reputable Adversarial Journalist, After all, “Research is to SEE what everybody else sees, and to THINK what nobody else has thought.” Simply put, the Philosophy of Thought content as also applicable to journalism teaches us that research is about organized and systematic way of collating information or data, analyzing and recording them to answer questions that can lead to decisions and information dissemination for the common good. To be a patriot and respecter of people, Ukandi must learn to deploy such virtues, that are also predicated on ethics and morals.
Most often, as I have observed and or listened to his unimpressive tangential or “off the curve,” writings or radio interviews, Ukandi has so degenerated and gotten newly wedded to intellectual laziness or sterility, probably as a result of diminishing returns, thus allowing xenophobic sentiments take better part of his personality. This explains why, generally, he neither writes or speaks moral or allegorical truths but literal “truth”, which are mostly empty in meaning, irrelevant in applicability and inciteful before gullible followers. Truth, as we know is the soul of journalism, whose philosophy is to bring into sharp focus hidden facts and set these facts logically as they relate to governance and public policy analysis.
Short of using the iconic quote of Late Martin Luther King Jr on sincerity and consciousness, I hope Ukandi would in the future strive to be intellectually deep in venturing and writing about people, organizations and the attendant public policies. Most auspiciously, he should strive to avoid crass display of conscientious ignorance, emotional outburst and vitriolic sentiments on issues he is misled or ill-informed to write or talk about. He cannot claim to be more Plateaunian and Nigerian than other peace-loving people.
On moral rectitude, I have always cherished preaching ideals of constructive criticism as well as embrace and demonstrate the virtues of mutual co-existence as it is in our tradition in Plateau State; and not to have self-acclaimed, Journalist-turned-socio-politico crusader who, out of knowledge-deficiency or sheer overzealousness becomes a purveyor of resurrected oddities. In writing or commentaries, one should remember as a journalist and Advocate of constructive professional rectitude, not as Agent Provocateur that within the ambits of Context, Interpretation and Debate, accuracies of facts are the foundation of quality write ups and thoughts. Therefore, on a cosmic scale of History, Ukandi should lift the eyes up and look towards new horizons that will inform, not inflame public sensibility. This is for his future growth and development too.
I do not know the model that Ukandi wants his younger Mentees to emulate and rate him. However, as a caveat, and out of respect for journalism and young practitioners, he should never be overzealous in publishing dry topical issues. Never be overzealous for the sake of answering one’s “Master’s Voice” and for a pittance in disparaging or maligning people or individuals and an Institution. On sound authority, I know that in journalistic parlance and ethics, it is averred that “in gathering and disseminating news or information, speed is almost always the enemy of accuracy. It offers those who seek to report, especially emotionally and overzealously less time to check facts.”
This is just the unfortunate casualty Ukandi has found and placed himself. Ukandi should strive to exhibit decorum; lest the law of retribution catches up with him one day when he too will require respect in equal measure. Deceit and ultimate lying that are normalized and disseminated through toxic articles; unethical professional attitudes and incitements, which are currently being served us as cocktails by the likes of Ukandi are recipes for chaos. Any publication in the public domain without a balancing act is most unfair and unacceptable.
Honestly, I think, enough is enough of this uncouth act of engagement by “self-acclaimed public commentators or media practitioners who are grandstanding, brazenly abusive and masquerading in both the political and open spaces. This is one of the biggest challenges to the NUJ Leadership of Plateau Chapter to contain or caution some of its overzealous members operational strategies under the umbrella of “diplomatic cover” in this season of toxic “journalism” that has pervaded our renowned peaceful atmosphere.
We need peace in this critical moment of transition that all people of goodwill have always been praying for. Most critically, let us all be advocates of a culture that put Truth, Respect and Decorum first and above all other primodial considerations.
Shalom!
Professor John W. Wade, mni.Wed. 8th November 2023
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