This is one of the consequences of promoting hate campaigns. AIT management was supposed to tell Jonathan and PDP that such hate campaigns were against the fundamental ethics of journalism. But because of partisan politics and financial gains from Jonathan and PDP, AIT crossed the line. And they are already paying the price for them.
The All Progressives Congress, APC, reversed the decision taken by President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, to bar the Africa Independent Television, AIT, from covering his activities.
The party said all accredited media organizations in the country, including the AIT, are free to cover the activities of the president elect.
Nobody should blame Buhari for the action he took against AIT because AIT showed clearly it was on the side of PDP from the post election to the election periods. AIT took Buhari’s issue personal as if Jonathan and PDP gave them the whole money in the world. I could not believe the extent to which AIT went in painting Buhari black.
AIT was not the media body that projected Buhari in bad light, but the extent to which AIT which is supposed to be non-partisan took the matter provoked not only Buhari, but his supporters and the international community.
Buhari has sent a warning from this to all media organisations to uphold professionalism in the discharge of their duty and be a watchdog and not a “witch dog”.
I used to like AIT very much but my dislike for it began when the station started transmitting hate campaigns against BUHARI including other damaging documentaries.
That is why we can’t dare God. If it were possible for God to show to AIT that BUHARI will win and not Jonathan, I strongly believe that they would have not accepted any hate campaign against Buhari. But they never believed even in their wildest dreams that Buhari will become President-Elect.
Now they are trying to play the “nice team” but unfortunately, Buhari has no room for “eye service”.
I am seriously disappointed in AIT. The station has lost its reputation locally and internationally.
I don’t blame NTA for the hate campaigns against BUHARI because NTA is a government owned station so it must dance to the tone of the government in power at all times. NTA management cannot refuse to transmit any message or documentary from the Presidency. The same way Jonathan has control of the station is the same way Buhari will have, So Buhari can use it to project whatever he wants. However, NTA should always advise the government on the impending danger of transmitting programmes that violent the fundamental ethics of journalism and lead to defamation so that it can wash its hands off the blame if the government insists.
There is a Code of Ethics guiding the practice of journalism in Nigeria, and this demands every journalist to ensure a strict adherence to the highest levels of ethics and professionalism in carrying out their duties.
That is why I like Channels TV because they will never accept such hate campaigns. As far as I am concerned, Channels TV remains my best TV station in Nigeria because it has been Objective, unbiased, fair, balanced and accurate it its reportage.
