There is an adage in Igboland, which loosely translated, says if you send a slave on a demeaning errand, he has no choice than to deliver same as a slave, since in Igboland slaves don’t speak in proverbs.
However, if you send a freeman on a demeaning errand, he has a choice to deliver same as he deems fit without losing his self-esteem or for other considerations deliver the message like a slave, which is considered in our culture a great tragedy to befall a man- a slave by choice.
I think Sam Omatseye is undeserving of the amount of ink being wasted on the reactions to his diatribe against the Ibos using Peter Obi as his smoke screen.
The writer is merely a hired hireling trying to earn a living the way he knows best- doing the dirty laundry of his paymasters. He is just one of the numerous court jesters posing as journalists in our political space nowadays.
In this era of 24-hour unrelenting news cycle, one must be decerning enough to know what to consume and even what to take serious. For a long time, I have narrowed my weekly political news analysis to just a handful of the likes of Segun Adeniyi, Dele Momodu, Amanze Obi, Simon Kolawole and of course Reuben Abati, who now devotes much of his time to electronic media. These writers have the mental energy and intellectual curiosity and resource any day to present their readers with refreshing perspectives to every issue and challenge their own beliefs and ideas. Even when I do not agree with their positions, they help me reframe mine and see possibilities for a middle ground. This is the hallmark of good old journalism- to inform, educate and entertain.
Sam Omatseye is a leading member of the new brand of journalism created shortly after the era of the likes of Dele Giwa, Ray Ekpu, Yakubu Mohammed and the other alumni of the Concord Newspapers.
They are the new prophets of Baal, created by the decadent, ignorant and dying political class to provide them with “prepaid knowledge packs” which come in the nature of midnight tutorials in English language, doctored speeches which cannot even be delivered coherently by their principals and myriad other services to clothe the ignorant with the garment of scholarship and class.
In ‘The Republic’, Plato created the doctrine of the philosopher – king as the model for leadership, the new “intellectuals” have reversed Plato. They prefer to accept the huge crumps that fall from the table of their overlords instead of aspiring to be kings. That essentially is the trouble with the Sam Omatseyes of Nigeria journalism and they are plenty. Ours now is not to crucify them but to help them reclaim their self-esteem and price their brain more appropriately. An intelligent person should have something better to do than engage in procuring garments for fake bishops.
At the end of the day, Sam Omatseye is neither Ahitophel whose counsel God turned into foolishness or the servant girl of Naaman, the commander of the Army of the king of Aram who advised her master against excessive pride. Mr. Omatseye and his band are merely what I call ”wind vane” journalists, carefully aligning their services in the direction of the needs of the god they serve-their stomach.
He is more like the beggar at the golden gate. When Peter saw him, he knew he does not need handouts which in any event Peter had none. What he gave him instead was more than he could ask for- self restoration. “Silver or gold neither do l have, but in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth I command you to get up and walk”. And walk he did.
I do not join in throwing stones, I rather pray for a Nigeria where these journalists reduced to beggarly existence will be released from their crippling mental and intellectual servitude through appropriate pricing of their brains and professional services.
If it takes another Peter to heal these beggars, so be it.
Chief Odom, a Lawyer, was Minister of State, FCT, Abuja
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