Arrest of AIT Senior Correspondent, Amaechi Anaekwue And Its Repercussion to Journalism In Nigeria.

The African Independence Television, AIT, dinned and wined with the government in all levels, including betraying the Nigerian people to do so. They often stand not just on the fence but refuse to give voice to pressing issues that concerns the citizens as most international media houses, the likes of CNN, Aljazeera, BBC and many others would have done in such instances. AIT never gave voice to the course of the 276 abducted Chibok Girls from Borno State. It never gave any voice to the 59 school boys butchered in Buniyadi, in their hostels. The Nyanya bomb blast and many other dehumanizing act of the dreaded Islamic sect popularly referred to as Boko Haram. When the Bring Back Our Girls Advocacy started, AIT had to be begged to speak out in order to drive out terrorism in the country. Dokpesi and his Staff felt the entire issue were trivial and deserve no coverage. For a moment, we thought, I thought they were immune to the likes of Mbu’s harassments…today, it shows that they too, can be bitten by their own over-fed dogs.

One thing however that they forgot (and still forget), is that when you are quiet to one person’s hurt, sooner or later, it will get to you. Despite AIT’s betrayal, Nigerians still came out to support their staff. That’s what I called being human in the face of injustice. Thank you Nigerians for not stooping as low as they they did during your own days of trial and controversies.

Aside the numerous important roles a reporter must play in his chosen profession, one vital part he must never leave out is to investigate events of public interest. A reporter doesn’t have the luxury of being snobbish, uppish and of a patronising temperament. A shy and a reserved type of person is totally unfit to become a successful reporter. He must possess abundant self-confidence, so as not to be over-awed by the rank or position of an individual. He should as a matter of fact be a man of initiative and should not be easily disheartened or discouraged.

Now given the narrative above, Mr Amaechi Anaekwue by all standards, matches the profile of a reporter and conducted his business with a great level of ethics and professionalism. The person who failed to reciprocate this professionalism in his own profession is AIG Joseph Mbu. For those of you who have been following Mbu’s antecedents, you’d know what a controversial character he is. This is a man who insulted a governor, and used the police platform to do that. This is a man who according to reports in 2003, abducted a sitting governor of Anambra State, Senator Chris Ngige. This is a man who sent out an order, instructing that all public gathering of any sort, be it in the FCT or any part of the country, be prohibited, a message he directed specifically to the Bring Back Our Girls Advocacy Group…the question is, what name can be more suiting to a character such as this, than the word CONTROVERSIAL? His actions are quite controversial and so if he’s called controversial he must wear that with pride.

The current Acting Police Inspector General, Suleiman Abba, went to Rivers State and conducted his business with less problem and trouble, Mbu went there and claimed to be a lion (in his own words,  he said “I went to Rivers State, saw a leopard and tamed it). So if he has an exaggerated importance of himself, then Nigerians must reduce him to who he is, and he’s nobody. President Jonathan, the Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces has been called many names, most of which are unprinted, yet he did not have anyone arrested. He accepted it as part of a democratic setting. Mbu is an unfortunate character and an accident waiting to happen in the police authority. He has reached the position of AIG and so I think he should do Nigeria a favour by resigning from office. Times without number I have tried to make a case for AIG Joseph Mbu, excusing his arrogance and egotistical characterizations that do not go down well with many Nigerians who have come across him, but the truth of the matter is that the man, Mbu brings himself, more problems than solutions.

Today Nigeria is a couple of months away from the all awaited 2015 general elections,. If Journalists/Reporters are allowed to be treated in such an undemocratic manner by the likes of Mbu, then there’s little or no hope for anyone who wishes to practice the full givings of a democratic government. As such, I implore the various Civil Rights Organizations, National Union of Journalists, Civil Rights Lawyers as well as Activists, to stand, seize the current opportunity and demand for a true freedom of journalists in the country in accordance to the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The Assistant Inspector General of Police, Mr Mbu Joseph Mbu, has desecrated the Police uniform again and I suggest that this time around, he does not get away with it.