Questionable Vanguard Comment on matters arising in University of Benin- a departure from journalism to media politics; being the title of a press release by the Benin National Congress. 16th February 2012.

Source: Dr. David Ekomwenrenren

The Vanguard Newspaper from its conceptualization as a print medium of journalistic practice some decades ago promises to be critical of all public institutions while ensuring that the reading public obtains informed and factual accounts on issues of public interests. Unfortunately, it has been seemingly afflicted by “the more you look, the less you see syndrome” of media politics- where some unseen hands or cabal dictates its tunes (publications). If the Wikipedia's definition of journalism “the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion” is anything to go by, the deliberate repeat of Vanguard Comment (Vanguard's official statement on contemporary public issues) at page 18 of Wednesday 15th February 2012 edition after it was previously published about a month earlier is a diabolic departure from the ideal meaning of journalism, to the extent that it was meant to further the nest of the immediate past Bursar of the University of Benin, Mrs. May Nwonye, as well as those of her godfathers led by one Onokhoraye.

As a non-violent social cultural organization, Benin National Congress has been devoting its resources and networks towards the promotion of peace, social security and justice amongst all Nigerians irrespective of tribal or ethnic affiliations. This account for our non-partisan posture in the affairs of federal and state institutions in Edo State, unless there are clear and unambiguous manipulations against our intelligentsias; then it becomes justiceable to point out glaring irregularities or fraud in the interest of justice and fair play. The non-hostile disposition of the Binis is allegedly responsible for the denial of Benin intelligentsias of the chance of appointment as Vice chancellor almost forty years of University of Benin's existence. We make bold to say that no host community in Nigeria or Africa will tolerate almost four decades of deprivation, criminalization of her esteemed intelligentsias from emerging as Vice Chancellor and marginalization of her indigenes in the employment of academic and non-academic staffs for that long. Throughout this blank years of deprivation of Binis from the post of Vice Chancellor and top management positions, Vanguard editorial board never found any justifiable ground to make a case for the appointment of qualified Professor from the host community as Vice Chancellor on account of federal character; justice and fair play to host community; but, it suddenly became concerned about protests and counter-protests over the post of the Uniben Bursar, because, the erstwhile Bursar (Mrs. Nwonye) has a watertight tribal affiliation with the Editorial board of Vanguard Newspaper. This is indeed absurd to the ideal practice of Journalism.

The Vanguard official statement specifically declared University of Benin as fond of deciding its matters in the media; and that it places sex and origin over and above competence or professionalism. It went on to cite codes of appointments in Nigeria as prescribed by the Federal Character Commission apparently to weep sentiments in favor of Mrs. May Nwonye. This in our view is a ploy to call a dog a bad name in order to hang it, because we are yet to see any attempt by the University of Benin's management to undermine codes of administration or federal character in its quest to fill the post of the Bursar which has been duly declared vacant and applications publicly and duly solicited from eminently qualified Nigerian citizens. Whereas media agencies are at liberty to ventilate their opinions on contemporary issues; as the 'fourth estate of the realm' they should not do so at the expense of justice. Of a fact, Mrs. Nwonye as a Nigerian has a right to aspire for any public office; in institutional settings like Universities or Colleges, once a person has been indicted (as she was indicted by the Prof. Okebukola led Visitation Panel of 2008), her eligibility can only be determined after the indictment has been set aside or rendered a nullity by a court of competent jurisdiction. And in her case, Mrs. Nwonye did not make any attempt to approach the court to quash the damning and meticulous indictment. Whose fault? Similarly, at pages 35 and 36 of the White Paper on the affairs of the University of Benin entitled “Views of the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on the Visitation Panel Report into the affairs of the University of Benin 2004-2010” specifically on the gross misconduct of the immediate past Bursar, it declares inter alia “the Visitor accepts these recommendations and frowns at the inability of the Bursar to comply with financial provisions or live up to the responsibilities of the post. Visitor therefore directs Management to ensure compliance and Council to reassess the position of the Bursar in the event of continued lapses”.

In a civilized society, she stands non-appointable in any part of the country; more so when she has been locally indicted by virtue of the internal audit report which penalized her of conspiracy or dereliction of duty in the inflation of staffs salaries under her unit (Salaries and Wages unit of the Bursary department) to the tune of millions of naira.

We are constrained to join issues with a media outfit like Vanguard Newspapers in view of the very high regards that we accord it; however, as a stakeholder in the wellbeing of public institutions in Nigeria, especially one that is in our domain as host community, it became incumbent on us to point out our perceived misdemeanor on the part of the editorial board. We do hope that the ideal characters of Journalism as symbolized by Vanguard and other national print media will continue to be reinforced in the reportage of contemporary issues.

Dr. David Ekomwenrenren- Director of Publicity and Intelligence.

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