I am not surprised that Leadership Newspaper has crafted another misleading headline targeted at NAHCON chairman, Professor Abdullahi Sale Usman. Over the years authorities in Nigeria have allowed a section of the media to entrench the despicable culture of Yellow Journalism. Now, newspapers like Leadership are not ashamed of it anymore.
Earlier Thursday I read a story in Leadership Newspaper titled “N5bn Budget Padding Uncovered at NAHCON”. The headline was simply crafted by highly biased and money-worshipping editors. In some cases, such stories are finished products sent to newspapers to publish in exchange for money.
I will not be surprised if this story is traced to one editor at an online media platform, who feels intense animosity towards Professor Abdullahi Saleh Usman. The editor has been going from pillar to post to discredit the chairman to no avail.
Anyways, I have found journalistic holes in the story in question. I have also found it expedient to expose the lies contained in there to enlighten the unsuspected readers of the newspaper who might have fallen into the trap.
One, it is apparent that the misleading headline is targeted at the NAHCON chairman. The newspaper set out, though insincerely, to analyze alleged budget padding in the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, (NAHCON) and the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC), but out of sheer irresponsibility only gave prominence to NAHCON, right from the headline.
Even in the absence of any hard evidence to link the alleged insertion to the chairman, the paper engaged in emotional blackmail.
Too many lies…
The disjointed arguments and the bitter controversies gave out the persons behind the story. The report said that the ‘inserted into the commission’s 2025 budget by the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs under a vague budget line titled “Hajj Support Programme” with the ERGP code ERGP202503279,’; yet it insisted that the NAHCON chairman is complicit. Has the NAHCON 2025 budget come in effect? Which of the two controversies should we accept as given from Leadership Newspaper?
Bias galore…
I wonder if Leadership Newspaper is not dancing to the drum, in a part, of religious bias and in another enemies of Professor Abdullahi Saleh Usman. How shameless! The report said “Similar patterns were discovered in the 2025 budget of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission, where an identical N5 billion was inserted under the “Pilgrims Support” line.
The report explicitly mentioned the name of NAHCON chairman, but failed to tell its readers the name of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission or make any attempt to link the insertion to him.
It contacted the assistant director of information and public relations at NAHCON, Hajiya Fatima Sanda Usara, but could not contact the spokesperson of NCPC.
However, the report quoted one Islamic cleric, Sheikh Isma’eel Muhammad Bello condemning the alleged insertion, but could not contact a pastor for comment.
This is a clear case of bias and contempt, which should not be allowed unchecked.
As much as I respect the media, I hate to see hardworking Nigerians being targeted for being upright.
The reforms Professor Abdullahi Usman has introduced at NAHCON have earned his enemies from within and without. His detractors felt threatened by these reforms. If the media cannot help survive the unpatriotic tide, why reinforce it?
In sum, it is high time Leadership Newspaper upped its game. Fanning the embers of hatred through yellow journalism will not take Nigeria anywhere. Nigerians are not blind to reasons.
I advise Leadership Newspaper to rise to the occasion. The world is watching. Newspaper readers have wised up. Any attempt at taking their silence for granted will be met with stiff resistance.
The management of the newspaper should, as a matter of urgency, identify the bad eggs whose mission is to enrich themselves even if the paper were to be ran aground.
The management should investigate those behind the unsubstantiated or fabricated news story intended at denting the hard-earned image of Professor Abdullahi Saleh Usman. A stitch in time saves nine.
Ahmad Shafi’i wrote in from Lafia, Nasarawa State