By Abdulrasheed Akogun
I must take a moment to express my appreciation to my respected friend and brother, Yinka Alaya (Assistant Secretary, Kwara NUJ Council) for his boldness and courage in coming forward at the Kwara NUJ Council’s monthly Congress, which held yesterday, Wednesday, 27th March, 2024 at the NUJ Secretariat, Ilorin, Kwara State.
He affirmed the despicable and ignoble issue of some practising journalists in the State parading fake results. His proactiveness and willingness to speak up about this matter is commendable, as it has prevented any potential damage to the reputation of the Journalism profession in the eyes of the general public.
I’ve never known Alaya as a frivolous or flippant personality, thus I’m of the strong opinion that he must have employed his sound journalistic acumen to gather necessary details, before boldly affirming same at the Congress yesterday.
As a member of the community, I am grateful to individuals like him who are willing to stand up against dishonest practices within our profession. The possession of fake results not only undermines the credibility of Journalists, but also erodes the trust that the public has in our work, not forgetting the criminal angle it portends, as possession of fake documents is a criminal offence, which is tantamount to perjury among other offences in the nation’s constitution.
By highlighting this issue, Alaya has taken an important step towards maintaining and preserving the integrity of journalism in Kwara State.
In law, incumbit probatio qui dicit non qui negat, which simply means “he who asserts must prove,” is a basic foundation. I understand that Alaya stopped short of providing the names of those journalists who are parading fake results, and I acknowledge the importance of due process in such matters.
Thus, I do believe it is crucial to take further action in order to ensure that the culprits are held accountable and that the profession is protected from any potential harm. Identifying and dealing with those individuals who engage in this unethical behaviour is vital for the reputation of journalism in Kwara.
If he is able to provide names or any evidence substantiating his claim, it will send a strong message that he has acted in good faith and have the best interests of the journalism community at heart. It will help the council to take appropriate punitive measures, such as suspension or termination of membership, and in more serious cases, even involve the relevant authorities for possible prosecution.
The absence of names or evidence may lead to speculation and a loss of trust in the profession, as Alaya’s allegation without such information creates the impression that all journalists in Kwara are untrustworthy. It is essential to rectify this perception by providing the necessary details so the council can take appropriate action and restore public confidence in our profession.
Alaya’s failure to provide the names of the journalists parading fake certificates, not only signposts him as a peddler of fake news, it also streamlines him as someone who maliciously set out to bring the profession and Kwara-based journalists into disrepute and that’ll be an unforgivable sacrilege.
I believe in my friend’s professionalism and associational standing, and I have no doubt that he acted with the utmost integrity in raising this issue. However, it is crucial that we take the necessary steps to ensure transparency and accountability within our profession. By doing so, we can prevent further damage to the reputation of the journalists in Kwara and reaffirm the public’s trust in our work.
Thank you once again, Alaya, for your courage and dedication to upholding the principles of journalism. I trust that you will carefully consider the impact of your actions and provide the necessary and detailed information devoid of speculations and ambiguity to buttress your assertions.
Abdulrasheed Akogun, a Kwara based journalist, writes from Ilorin, Kwara State.
