*Argues: 'Nigerian Journalists are educated,
enlightened, should not be disgraced on BEN Television London'
*Echoes:
'His View breaches Article 9, 19 UDHR 1948, Freedom of the Pen is Freedom
of Rights'
*States:
'He can't politicize Journalism, Nowhere in the world Journalism registered
as a Law'
*Explains:
'If you control peoples' freedom of pen, then you have enslaved their
rights'
QUOTE: “Freedom of the Press, if it means anything at all, means the
freedom to criticize and oppose”-George Orwell
Professor Alexia Thomas, Chairman of
The Commonwealth Liberation Party (TCLP) United Kingdom and Chieftain
Commonwealth Treaty Alliance Commission, famously called 'Her
Knowledgeable' is an enigma, so passionate
about fighting for human rights of the Commonwealth citizens; even at
every inconvenience at the cost of her life. In this revealing encounter,
she has faulted pronouncements made by Waheed Odusile, President of
Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, a media association founded in
Nigeria on March 15, 1955; regarding an impending bill being orchestrated
by Odusile to bring about Confraternity Journalism amongst media practitioners in Nigeria:
Q:
Can you kindly take us through the burning issue you earlier raised regarding
Nigerian journalists on BEN Television in London?
A:
Let me start by saying this matter is very critical and as a Mother of Commonwealth,
I think I will be doing injustice to the people without having to
express my serious political views. The world will not be destroyed by
those who do evil, but by those who watch them do evil without
doing no\thing. On 26th December, at about late in the night, I was watching BEN Television London, and I came
across this figure on the program
whom I could see is called Waheed Odusile. As I watch this guy, I started
analyzing him psychologically, and I could see this guy as a troubled
man in his late 40s. I could hear the man talking on issues regarding journalism, saying they
(Nigerian journalists) have their own problems,
emphasizing they are trying to push a bill so that journalism can be
legislated as a law.
As I
watched this guy speak, I was able to go into his mind-overview, and I could see that this guy is trying to
politicize journalism the Nigerian Union
of Journalists (NUJ) became set up, how they put themselves into this occultic-killer squad, the brain
behind it is not known. If there was supposed to be NUJ, I think the NUJ
should operate as a club. As a club,
members
can come in, and members can leave. You cannot politicize journalism as
an association, that have the power to penalize anybody. The Freedom of the Pen is Freedom of Rights.
Everybody have a right and a law to write
the way they chose to write. As I watched the views of Waheed Odusile, I realized that this guy is trying to
Confraternize Journalism. I don't
know where this guys has come from, I don't know the background of
this guy, but I know this guy is a Lagosian and
I know this guy is running paranoid.
This guy indirectly is mentally unwell. He talks rubbish. He talks about journalists, ridicule them, as a kind of
father who goes about flogging
children. This guy is talking nonsense, this guys is pushing a destructive
bill, this guy is being sponsored by politicians who wants to control
the medium of communication and expression. This guy's presidency has to be disbanded.
I call upon NUJ, I ask them to re-visit the registration of that body.
That body can only run well as a club. I could see that Waheed was sworn
into power as President of NUJ and I
could see in his swearing-in ceremony a barrister, while Waheed raised
his hand and taking
his Oath of office as if he is Mr. President (of the nation). NUJ is a
club. This guy does not have a right coming on BEN Television disgracing
all the journalists in this industry who have worked so hard to become
graduates. He has no right talking on BEN Television that Nigerian journalists
are troubled, that Nigerian journalists cannot manage themselves, that
he is pushing a bill, having had the guts to come on BEN Television
to talk about nonsense. This guy's view breaches Article 19 of Universal
Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) 1948.
It is not
Waheed's fault because Nigerian government lack education. The Nigerian Constitution is
not fit to be a constitution. When we are talking of Treaty,
Nigerian government should go back to the Treaty of 1948 and see what
laws the masters who colonized them signed 15 years before
Nigeria got her independence. If Waheed is well learned enough, he will
know that freedom of the pen is freedom of rights. He will know that he
cannot politicize journalism. The presidency, ministers, governors have an
important duty to the people. The pen has a duty to expose their atrocities.
So, if Waheed is trying to Confraternize journalism, I strongly say to
him today or whoever has sponsored him, he should refrain from
pushing that bill, if he goes ahead to push that bill, he would be disband
and not fit to be the president of NUJ. Like I earlier explained NUJ
would be a club where people can associate in and leave. Pen will continue
to be the power. Mr. President, governors, ministers, every journalist
have a freedom of speech. Article 19 of UDHR 1948 holds journalists'
values, protect them. Their pen is their value; their pen is the peoples
freedom. Waheed cannot legislate a law to control and further control
the journalists. He should go back and get his facts right. I am going
to advise all electronic media outlets who have been advocating his wrongful
teachings to stop entertaining this guy on their broadcast media platforms.
Stop allowing this guy to talk nonsense, he should know the Royal Mother
(Commonwealth Mother) has spoken from England. If Waheed Odusile
needs money, I will get him money so he can get himself some serious
education and learn the Universal Treaty. Nigeria cannot be a nation
that will control herself without an independent media watching them.
Waheed Odusile should know that being president of NUJ does not mean he
has the power to control the Nigerian journalists. He has no rights to influence
journalist’s views. As I looked into Waheed, I strongly recommend that
his nomination would be abolished. If Waheed do not behave himself, do
not respect every journalists, he should refrain from saying Nigerian journalists
have a troubled body. No journalist is troubled. Everyman is troubled
when they cannot sustain their social security to sustain their social
needs.
When I
went into Waheed Odusile's minds, I could see this man whose face tells
you what is going on in his head. Whatever money he has collected from
the Head of State or politicians deceiving him to push journalism as a
bill is pure politicized confraternity. Political journalism is the basis
of this guy's architectural push. He is playing deceit-diplomacy as Waheed is
pushing this bill, every journalists who are in the train with him have
all been bribed. This work Waheed is doing pushing journalism to be
legislated as a law is not alone on this bill. I am even sure when he was
elected as president of NUJ, President Muhammadu Buhari congratulated him.
Why did President Buhari congratulate him? It shows that they are befriending
him because they want to make him control the views of what journalists
are saying. This means, if journalists do not listen to Waheed, he will
push them, push a case against them until those journalists eventually
end up in jail. So, Waheed is a very dangerous man.
NUJ is a
club, for that reason Waheed is talking nonsense, not fit to be a president.
The fact that Waheed's argument breach Article 19 of UDHR 1948, he is a
shameful man who lacks education. I will not sit in London and watch him
bring shame on every journalists in United Kingdom. What he is talking
about has shown that Nigerian journalists are illiterates and not educated.
Based on what he is talking, there is nowhere in the world where
journalism is registered as a law. So, working on pushing journalism as
a law in Nigeria shows this man as a troubled man. NUJ members should come
together and review their confraternity because when it was been founded
they did not know it will hunt them. If we don't quickly control this
man's insanity, he will see journalists in their magnitude go to jail and
Nigeria will wreck in death. That is my statement.
Q: Being
that Waheed Odusile is a veteran journalist with decades of experience
in various media houses in Nigeria and was elected president by members
of NUJ during their annual general meeting, what is your message to the
vast majority of NUJ executives?
A: First
of all, the freedom of the pen is the freedom of rights. Journalism
is about the employer. So if anyone should have a union, it should be
the employer. Just like the newspaper houses should have their club is
like saying the country and the citizen. For instance, newspaper houses
need to have their own media clubs. True, the journalists themselves
have their own union, but without their employers they (journalists)
will not have a news medium to tell their own stories. The basis of
which NUJ has been set up is being Confraternized, it is becoming a
confraternity journalism, and that is very dangerous for the profession.
You don't
control anybody's freedom of pen. If you control anyone's freedom of
pen, then you have enslaved their rights. The NUJ executives should know
that it is a patriotic club of being your brother's keeper.
The club
should not entertain any political influence. The law has no business
with journalism; the President of the nation cannot be sending goodwill
messages to NUJ president. Even if Mr. President sends him a condolence
message, I think NUJ president should reject it, if not that becomes a
political relationship. That means, Waheed begins to control all-round
negative media views of Mr. President. Remember Nigerian politics is
corrupt, NUJ executives should not allow Waheed to be engaged in
political relationship with the ruling government. Waheed does not know that
he is pushing a sham bill. That bill is sham because Article 19 of UDHR
1948 talks about the freedom of expression and opinion. You don't control
a man on how to write, every man has his own view on how he
writes.
The act of a man's writing depends on the power of his employer.
If Punch
newspaper wants to employ you, it is their view if they like your style
of writing.
Q: Since
establishment of NUJ on 15th March, 1955, most media houses in Nigeria
have NUJ Chapels (branches), being that Nigerian Constitution recognize
the existence of NUJ as a body. So, what is your take on this?
A: I told
you that as we move the train of a new 21st Century, we are not going to
be governed by the Constitution. We already know that the British people
(White man) do not use the Constitution, they use Statute of Authority,
words of Authority and Courts of judgment. However, sneaked journalism
body in politics into the Constitution is totally a sham legislation.
That would be debunked. What is Constitution? Constitution is actually
nothing. Constitution is a principle of taking something and putting it
in a book and say these are going to be the Modus-Operandi. If NUJ has
been sneaked into recognition by the Constitution, then it is a sham and
not allowed. NUJ is a club, it has no politics view, its politics and
views are going to be neutralism.
Q:
Regarding your latest revelation on Confraternity Journalism in Nigeria,
what is your message to Committee of Protection of Journalists, CPJ and
International Press Institutes, IPI, two major foreign media bodies that
protect journalists worldwide, including Nigerian journalists?
A: The
reason why journalists had been prosecuted in the past is because some
of them had been influenced to assassinate. Why those journalists had problems
then was because they are involved in politics. One governor pays one
journalist to talk negatively about another governor. Journalism has
gotten itself involved in politics acting in terms of being rewarded with cash.
Now, Article 19 of UDHR 1948 is already a Universal Treaty for journalists
which provide expression for journalists. As long as you expressions are
right, information is accurate, it has truth and reality; nobody can
question your pen. For the NUJ, I will be giving them 28 days to sit in
their assembly and review all their hinges of Confraternity embodiment.
NUJ has no business in Nigerian Constitution. If it has been included in
the constitution, must be deleted immediately. Who guides a Constitution?
Who writes a Constitution? Constitution is a book with a pen, where
you write and you delete. You don't need any ceremony to delete
it. NUJ is a club about protecting each other and supporting each other.
As you begin to write, it is like pen-pal, where you guys appreciate
yourselves. You guys support yourselves in terms of funding; it should
not be controlled by politics. Democracy is not the views of the people,
the government cannot influence how the journalists feel. No journalist
in the world can arrest a journalist. The government in African continent
has been neglected because the White man has left them to kill themselves.
For the first time, we are the Commonwealth Liberation Party in London
and we would not sit down and watch injustice orchestrated on civilized
men who know the truth. Waheed Odusile is uncivilized, his words on BENT
Television shows him mocking Nigerian journalism. This guy is mocking
men of knowledge, every journalist is a graduate, every journalist
is a thinker. Every journalist is a reformer,
every journalist is a beauty of art. How dare you tell me that the journalists are
troubled? Who told you that? How did they (journalists) have trouble?
They have trouble because Waheed cannot get millions from his comrades
in government because other journalists are writing rubbish about them.
That means they (the journalists) are speaking the truth. The boys have
said to Waheed: 'Go and clean the dirty job'. He comes in with a
Confraternity bill, thinking he can get away and make it a law. Sorry,
it is not going to be possible this time. If he does not refrain from
this move, I tell him, in 60days he will be out of that power as NUJ
president.
Q: We are
aware that going by NUJ Articles and Treaty, changes by the executives
can only be effected in their laws during their annual general meetings,
not earlier...
A: Let me
tell you this as well: NUJ cannot have its own Constitution, it is not
allowed. What NUJ have is a working document (Modus Operandi). NUJ is a
club. Who sets up this club? Go to the founding fathers of NUJ. What was
the basis at which it was set up? It was sets up as a club. The initial,
initiative was to assist themselves. It was not set up to be politicized.
It is being politicized, It is being Confraternized. If NUJ has a
Constitution, that would be taken off. There is nothing like a Constitution
for NUJ. Constitution for who? Every journalists have their freedom of
pen, which is their freedom of rights. So, who are you going to use the
Constitution to govern? Who is telling journalists to give themselves a
Constitution? That is why I said they are nailing themselves in the
coffin. They only need a working document (Modus Operandi). They should
go back and get their books right. This is disaster, this is death
of free speech in Nigeria. This is assassination of every man's character.
Who has
the right to question any man's pen? Who has the right to say a man is
talking rubbish? Everyman have their views. Waheed came into power to
create what is going on in his head. Like I said, he is talking nonsense,
disgracing all journalists.
Q: What
do you make of the regular use of BEN Television in UK by various interest
groups of Nigerians with most views inimical to the development of
Nigeria?
A: BEN
Television London have no idea of what their invited guests are coming to say. The truth is, they (BEN Television
members) are also not well educated. BEN Television is actually a good
medium where people come to talk. These talks Waheed dished out are
pranks on BEN Television. His talks are dangerous to humanity; these
talks are dangerous to the values of
journalists. This man is a killer assassin. When you assassin a man's freedom
of speech, it is as good as maiming the man for life. Of what essence is
studying journalism without being allowed to express your opinion? How
could you register journalism by Constitution? Who is making this law?
The people have gone mad. NUJ is not an enforceable body, but a club to
associate and protect each-others' back. Journalism cannot be politicized,
it cannot be Confraternized. Any registered law is Confraternity,
it is legislative-it is journalism Confraternity. Waheed begging the
parliament and government to legislate journalism as a law. Journalists
always speak the truth. When a journalist speak the truth you know, and
when he speaks lie you know. Out of every 100 journalists, 98 speak the
truth. This man could not have come on air and said journalists have a
troubled body. They are having troubled body since they constitutionalized
it into Nigerian Constitution recognizing them after they have been awarded money. The problem they are
facing now is: money allocation to
them by the presidency or by the government. This is why when the money
comes to NUJ, the money is not shared among the members equally, that is
what they are fighting for. What they fight for is: money disbursement
for the welfare of journalism. When the money comes, the president and
his executives will share the money without allowing it to reach other members of the body. They are not fighting
because they lack education, they are not fighting because they are
troubled, they are fighting because they are greedy and not sharing the
money equally.
