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Five months ago, a friend of mine, who edits a national daily, sent me a text message agreeing substantially with my column, ‘The Punch and the rest of us’, except the generalised conclusion that “all (journalists) have sinned and fallen short of the glory of the profession”. There are still some journalists, he submits, who toe the narrow path of integrity. Of course I knew where he was coming from, but I also knew the context in which I had made that statement.

I revisit that statement in light of the stories spewing out of the political beat, specifically on the race for the 2011 presidential elections and how it affects the integrity of news.

As part of the effort to sell his candidature for the presidency, former military president, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) invited as many as 40 journalists to his Minna home on August 14 for an interview. I have heard questions asked about why he should invite journalists to his home instead of a public place if he didn’t have an ulterior motive, and why he should offer monetary gifts to the journalists in the name of paying for their transportation.

One news medium, which has championed this opposition in the open, is the online agency, Sahara Reporters. According to SR each of the journalists received N10 million for heeding Babangida’s call on his presidential ambition. That is N400 million just for one night’s interview from an aspirant yet to win his party’s nomination if it were true. But it was not. When some of the journalists complained about the fictional sum, SR changed the story on August 19, saying it was just “a paltry N250, 000 each”. Rather than admit its initial error SR simply said, “our accountants have told us that going by the number of 40 journalists in attendance, we are still around the same ballpark of N10 million”. So much for credible reporting!

Three days later, SR followed up with ‘IBB and his Rogue Journalists’, accusing the journalists of roguery and professional misconduct; roguery, because they collected money from two sources—their employers who presumably authorised and funded the trip and their news source, IBB; misconduct because it is unethical for them to demand/receive gratification from news sources for their services.

And on August 23 in ‘IBB Nocturnal Press Parley: Punch fires Editorial board Chairman’, SR stayed on top of the story by reporting that Adebolu Arowolo, editorial board chairman of the Punch, had lost his job for going on that trip without his management’s approval..

The man who got a minor he allegedly impregnated, arrested and imprisoned for eight months, has been arrested by the police.

For over seven days, Nadum Nwitua, the man accused of impregnating Comfort Monday, the 17-year-old inmate, who had been incarcerated while pregnant at the Kirikiri Female Prison, Apapa, for eight months, over an alleged theft of N295,000, had evaded all attempts by federal and state government officials catching up with him.

Following the intervention of the Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, through the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Social Development in effecting Ms Monday’s release, Mr Nwitua had gone underground. Witnesses said he only returns to his abode at 2 Owode Street, Abule Egba, at midnight and leaves before dawn. Subsequently, police officers attached to the governor’s office and Alausa police station, arrested him on August 20, at about 6am, as he made to leave his compound. He is accused of sexually abusing Ms Monday.

Denies the charge

Mr Nwitua denied ever having any sexual relations with Ms Monday. “I have never touched her,” he said. “I have being arrested for an offence I have no idea; when everyone knows she has a boyfriend, Kennedy, who must have impregnated her. Why has he not being arrested and brought here?.” He also denied being invited by any government agency to answer any of the allegations levied against him. But Lucas Koyejo, the Assistant Chief Legal Officer of the National Human Rights Commission, produced a letter of invitation addressed to Mr Nwitua, dated August 9, 2010, alleging assault, rape, trafficking, child labour and malicious prosecution of Ms Monday, which was signed and received by Mr Nwitua’s niece, Princess, on August 11. “In view of the seriousness of the above allegations, the commission hereby request for your response within seven days of your receipt of this letter in order to make a fair and just decision in this matter,” the letter read..

Different tune

At the Police State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, Yaba, Mr Nwitua began to sang a different tune. He accused the Lagos State government of conspiring against him; and boasted that the charge of impregnating Ms Monday, if proven, would show he is a man. “Comfort was given to me by her father and brother for marriage,” he said. “I paid them about N25,000. Even if I impregnated her, am I not a man? So what crime have I done? All this allegations are just lies. Everybody that is a Yoruba is a liar. All you Yorubas are all liars.” Vure Kara, lawyer to Mr Nwitua, said his client was willing to undergo medical tests to confirm whether he is the father of the baby, adding if positive, he would have committed no crime since Ms Monday is above 16 years. “Our law is clear, once a person is within the age of 16 years, the issue of having intercourse with anybody is not a crime at all,” he said. “It is only if you have sexual intercourse with any person under 16 that it is a crime. So if that happens, it will be resolved. There is always a way about it..”

Not so easy

But indications are that Mr Nwitua, who has being detained over the weekend at Panti, will be charged to a family court. This would mean he will be tried under the Child Rights Law of Lagos State, thus ensuring a stiffer penalty. “It is a criminal matter and there are several allegations against him,” Mr Koyejo said. “First of all there is the allegation of rape because he forcefully had carnal knowledge of an underage under his care and the penalty for that under the Child Rights Act is life imprisonment.”

Ademola Adeniji-Adele, the Commissioner for Youth, Sports and Social Development, whose ministry took over Ms Monday’s welfare since August 17, said both mother and baby were doing fine. He said it would be left to the court to determine when a paternity test would be carried out. “The ministry’s obligation is to the girl and the child,” he said. “Everything other thing is being handled by the police and the court. Ours is to ensure abuse in any form in Lagos State is addressed. This is what we have done and the ministry is grateful to NEXT for bringing this girl’s case to the fore.”