WHAT MANNER OF JOURNALISM IS THIS?

Tolerating evil leads only to more evil.
And when good people stand by and do nothing while wickedness reigns,
their communities will be consumed.
- Bob Riley

On the night of Sunday, May 3rd, 2009, I was at home enjoying the company of friends, oblivious to the trauma plaguing Charles O’Tudor, Principal Consultant of ADSTRAT BMC and my own very boss. The discovery of the article on First Weekly magazine for the week May 3-9 with the cover title Brand Expert, CHARLES O’TUDOR in financial crisis and rider: Banks Threaten To Take Over Properties shocked me immensely and for a couple of minutes I was bent over in pain like a man hit in the gut. A myriad of emotions enveloped me. Shock. Pain. Despair.

My union with the PC, as he is referred to, was never orchestrated by happenstance. Since my first meeting with him whilst still in the university, I have come to admire him as a man who unreservedly believes in my vision and has provided me with an enabling environment for the achievement of same. It is rare to find such men and as such I am peeved as well at the deplorable level of Journalism displayed in this part of the world. I will try as much as possible not to go ad hominem on this one even though I very much doubt if I can.

I might come across as a bundle of boundless and riveting energy, but my powers of observation have served me well over the years. From my first day at ADSTRAT, I have taken some time to study the man I work with, perhaps in a bid to quell the hangover of my drunkenness over his facade. What I have discovered is that the suave, assertive flamboyance he portrays actually masks a rugged determination to subdue the highly competitive clime of brands and branding. With a flawless espousal of strategies and a seamless execution on the CrossRiver state brand [the first state brand in Nigeria], it is not far fetched to assert that he has fought a good fight.
I can attest to the potholes that attend the path of entrepreneurship in Nigeria. To succeed, one must be consumed by a vision to render service which drives him through hardships and battles. O’Tudor has survived 8 years in one of the world’s most rigorous business climes through painstaking diligence, hard work and whether you like it or not – a prophetic call. Why would someone decide to end all that by a deliberate act of malice? So when I see a person who through hard work and God’s favour decided to dare the odds and wade the storms being defamed thus, it is disheartening. This indeed threatens to annihilate in one sweep the years of labour, dedication and resilience.

I am thrown in a quandary - what do I attribute this behaviour to; malice or sheer stupidity? Indeed what I see is that both play a role in the recent transpiring. Although democracy comes with fringe benefits, libel is a limitation to freedom of speech. As is customary, the referendum of my heart manifests as questions seeking an answer. Has the human mind become so wicked to attempt to wipe out 8 years of decent labour? Is libel and slander de rigueur in Nigerian Journalism such that people publish anything without caring whose ox is gored? Does one assume the position of a clog in the wheel of success of a fellow man, and expect to be successful in turn?

I am not a journalist by any standard, but I understand a fair share of the obtainable tenets which guide its practice worldwide. The article can only be described as a debasement of the most fundamental journalistic ethics. Investigative journalism pre-supposes that if a journalist gets wind of a story, before it sees the light of day, confirmations should be made to establish its credibility. In this case, no such thing was done. Every claim by the soft sell magazine was false to say the least. I worked on the team for BrandsArise Season II which held at the University of Lagos and I can say categorically that the allegation of the event being “unofficially” funded by a bank manager is a trailer load of bollocks. It is even unthinkable that such a laudable cause as BrandsArise was also connected to this charade.

If at the very least, a phone call was made to any Consultant within the ADSTRAT consortium, the claim of unpaid salaries would have been debunked as the salaries for the month of April was availed to Consultants before the last day of the month.

In the face of what I have termed “stupidity of extortionate proportions”, to stay mute may become a sin. I refuse to remain silent while a man’s sweat is rubbished by myopic, malevolent tyrants. If people like O’Tudor are shamefully portrayed, then who serves as a role model for young people desirous of a sojourn in the rigorous land of business creation? Can young people like me who aspire to erect a dynasty do so without the fear of the lily-livered men who disregard the values of ethical business practices?

This assault on O’Tudor’s character is not the first, but this time, I am sure that the men who have written this script will need to be patient enough and postpone rejoicing over premature triumph until the play is over. Indeed they have bitten more than they can chew and the repercussions of their actions would certainly serve as a note of warning to all who intend to tread that path.

Right now, all I can do is pray; that the damaging articles do not affect my boss adversely, that the perpetrators get the full due for their unprofessional conduct and the fear of God would pervade Journalism and transform it to its initial position as a honourable tool for the spread and promotion of justice.