Tuesday 25 September 2007

Etteh's House of Area Boys

Hakeem Babalola

I need to confess that I often rejoice at this kind of scenario. I am addicted to watching Nigerian public officials misbehave. I love it when they slap one another instead of deliberating on something profound. It makes me proud of them. It makes me think that, after all, my criticism has basis. It intensifies my argument that most Nigerian public officials do not know what service means. It reminds me that Nigerians themselves are not ready for normalcy since their representatives are their mirror.
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ME, FANI-KAYODE AND MR . OLUSEGUN ADENIYI AND THISDAY NEWSPAPER.- A TALE OF UNEXPECTED TRAGEDIES; ONE CO-INCIDENT TOO MANY?


By Enobong Umohette
enobong_umohette@yahoo.com

The fourth estate of the realm is a parlance that evokes many sentiments across board. For some, it is the watchdog of society. For some, it is a tool for political leverage and control. For some, it is the voice of conscience and yet for others, it symbolizes a commercial enterprise where intellectualism, oratory and loquacity are deployed for propaganda and NEWS- at a price.
Whatever the outlook, personal conviction and perception we may all have about the press; like government; it is the practitioners that exemplify its beauty or espouse its shortcomings.
Mr Olusegun Adeniyi is one amongst the numerous of such fine gentlemen of the press, men who have over the years, exemplified the beauty of journalism: Diligent and adept with radically intelligent views about public and government affairs. Today he is the Chief Image maker to President Umaru Yar’adua and by extension, the presidency. I am happy that he has been honored recently with his participation in a U.S State Dept program hosted here in the U.S.A.The epoch making event could not have taken place at a better venue than the U.S.A: which is the bastion for press freedom, freedom of speech and all other fundamental human rights and liberties.

Maybe the influx of quite a number of journalists/ members of the press in this new administration accounts for the present government’s responsiveness to public opinion. Who better can feel the pulse of public opinion faster than a seasoned media person/journalist. Maybe the acrobatic style of policy thrust and direction by the present Yar’adua government is an indication that the Yar’adua administration is not like a rudderless ship as some critics would suggest.

Life is such a mystery indeed. So many things happen and we wonder why. Many at times, we are faced with surprises, changes and CO-INCIDENCES, that make our journey through this mortal plane akin to a work of inexplicable fiction. http://saharareporters.com/www/interview/detail/?id=59