The cover picture for this article is ISSUE 28 of ARISE IGALA Magazine, published exactly 8 years ago. It was during the period when His Excellency, Prince Abubakar Audu passed away, and the many unimaginable dramas at that time inspired the cover headline for the edition. We, the ARISE IGALA Team, witnessed it all as we worked closely with him, particularly in his last 100 days on earth until his very last engagements; we were there.
‘Igala, Don’t Cry For Me’ tells the story of the shocking turnarounds of many Igala elites who were supposed to stand for the interests of the Igala Kingdom during one of its most politically challenging times. Instead, they pursued ‘personal interests’ with a speed that could rival Usain Bolt’s. These turnarounds were very serious, with shocking alignments that depicted the questionable and disappointing characters of the people, eventually becoming a solid foundation for the challenges that lay ahead in the coming years. We saw what was coming, but our warnings were dismissed because the ‘experts’ were at work. So, considering the recent political history of the land, over ninety percent of the current champions of the ‘Igala Agenda’ today laid the foundation for the land’s current political woes. They are not really patriots; most of them are actually ‘atoning’ for their sins. We know this very well, but as a people who are hurting, we embraced forgiveness in order to forge ahead and achieve a common goal, even though we can’t erase the history anymore. Therefore, as we proceed, let’s do so with a good sense of history to understand how to engage with all these key actors on the field.
Now, returning to the current troubling situation that arose from the response of the Honourable Minister of Steel Development, Prince Shuaibu Abubakar Audu, to the Forum of Igala Journalists (FORIJA), we were not shocked. We understand the changing nature of the world, the detrimental impact of Social Media, and the growing number of self-proclaimed journalists who lack basic understanding of the profession. If things were done properly and well-directed, the current problem could have been a solution. Unfortunately, it is what it is because it was manipulated, and media hawks took advantage of the situation to further undermine our growing unity ahead of the gubernatorial election.
It’s worth noting that since the election is just around the corner, I have published a few articles warning our people about the dangerous roles played by today’s largely unregulated media due to the proliferation of social media/online news platforms. Furthermore, people are no longer questioning what they see online but consume information without asking fundamental questions. As the heated and painful exchanges unfolded online, my team, a group of Media Engineers, conducted a quick survey. The results were shocking. Many people, perhaps including you, did not read FORIJA’s letter and Prince Shuaibu’s reply. Instead, they relied on the twisted headlines by bloggers and social media sensationalists.
We discovered that reactions and judgments were quickly made, negatively attacking the personality of the Honourable Minister based on what people saw online. Painfully, even those who should know better fell for it because we have unfortunately reached the point where whatever surfaces on social media is largely believed to be true. Media hawks, those who thrive on continuous crises for their own selfish growth and followership, will never cease from manipulating the already gullible people, irrespective of their status. This ugly trend is making us more enemies and destroying our much-needed unity. We should take this as a warning.
Let me make it clear here; you can go find and read it for yourself: there is no place in Prince Shuaibu’s reply where he called the Igala people “ethnic bigots.” His reply was specifically directed to FORIJA, who chose to make their letter to him public. Perhaps, the forum maliciously exploited the humility of the young Honourable Minister to tarnish his reputation, and they seem to have achieved this by misleading the public with such provocative headlines everywhere on social media. It appears that, with this achievement, they take pride in being pen warriors, destroying and continuously pushing away our best and gatekeepers. I wish FORIJA had used their pen powers to organize a reception for the Honourable Minister when he was appointed, and from there, make themselves available to guide, promote, and protect him in his primary assignments. We wouldn’t have reached this point.
This incident once again shows that we are very good at tearing down, rather than supporting one another to grow. Corrections made with love are usually embraced, and the person being corrected quickly adjusts. If it’s the other way around, the person will likely stand firm in their convictions. It would be beneficial if we could use our influence, forums, and networks for the advancement of our people and good causes, rather than seeking popularity through negativity.
Once again, let’s all take seriously the fact that social media has become a battleground in the media landscape, serving as a base for launching attacks that undermine people’s unity, joy, and development. This is achieved by weaponizing headlines to manipulate public opinion. Therefore, the huge responsibility is on every reader and consumer of social media contents to always use their “upper”.
ARISE!
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ONOJA, Publisher
ARISE IGALA MAGAZINE
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