The Chairman Board of Directors of the Ogun State Television and the Publicity Secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress in Ogun State, Comrade Tunde Oladunjoye has blamed media employers’ refusal to pay salaries of their workforce as and when due as the leading cause of unethical practices among media practitioners.
He also lamented the fact that majority of the media owners who perpetrate this evil act against media practitioners are themselves Journalists, saying their actions make them the catalyst of unethical practices among modern day practitioners.
Oladunjoye made the remarks on Thurday In Abeokuta as guest speaker at the 3rd ‘Diji Akinhanmi Memorial Lecture with the theme ” Journalism and Ethical Issues in Nigeria,” put together by the Board and Management of the Ogun State Broadcasting Corporation, OGBC.
He said the saddening hypocrisy however is the fact that media practitioners dissipate a lot of energy writing about unpaid salaries and allowances in other sectors of the economy, but they unfortunately lack the courage to write about their own poor conditions of service, a situation he described as ‘suffering and smiling.’
“The number one cause of unethical practices in Journalism is the issue of unpaid salary by media owners who are themselves Journalists. And, the saddening hypocrisy is the fact that media practitioners protect people from other sectors, writing about their poor conditions of service, but they lack the courage to write about theirs. It is like suffering and smiling.
He said Journalism had always been a struggle between those who know how to hide things and those who know how to unearth what is hidden, saying however that the political class had not seen journalists as partners in progress, hence a situation of mutual suspicion had always characterised the relationship between media practitioners and the ruling class.
Describing the Nigerian Journalists as resilient and an institution that had played and is still playing greater role in the entrenchment of democratic ideals, Oladunjoye recalled how journalist of the past era were fully involved in the independence struggle.
While also saying that lack of on-the-job training is one of the bane of Journalism profession, Oladunjoye called on media owners to always send their employees for training both locally and internationally, admonishing practitioners themselves to engage in self development.
The Ogun State Commissioner for information, Alhaji Waheed Odusile in a remark observed that the major problem of the media in Nigeria is funding, describing most media owners of today as traders.
He said the media will regain its composure and relevance when genuine investors come into the profession.
” For the Nigerian media to fare better, the ownership must change from traders to real investors, Odusile said.
He described the ‘Diji Akinhanmi annual lecture as apt , while commending the management of OGBC for the honour,saying the late OGBC General Manager, ‘Mr. Diji Akinhanmi was a friend of all and a rounded professional who loved Journalism .
The General Manager of OGBC, Mrs. Toyin Sogbesan while appreciating the guests for gracing the occasion, promised o make the event bigger in subsequent years.
The event was well attended by dignitaries including the Head of Service, Dr. Nafiu Aigoro, the Chairman Civil Service Commission, Engineer Tokunbi Odebunmi, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information, Alhaji Waheed Adesina , Chairman Board of Directors s of OGBC, Comrade Yahaya Olodeoku, Head.of the Akinhanmi Family, Dr. Akin Akinhanmi, and wife of the deceased Dr. Akinhanmi as well as ‘Friends of Diji Akinhanmi among others.
