By Nuhu Ribadu
There is consensus on the position of corruption as our major impediment to greatness in Nigeria. It is a malady that has unfortunately gone deep into our national fabric. Corruption is the major reason why we are where we are today as a country. It is also the reason why we are unable to address a lot of our problems and challenges.
Years of mindless stealing and waste of public resources have earned Nigeria a bad name and reversed the hopes and aspirations we had as a country at the time of Independence. The haemorrhage of corruption has dragged this country to the brink in spite of efforts at different times, including what we are witnessing presently, to get Nigeria away from the monster. Fighting corruption, therefore, is key to the survival and progress of our country.
In this fight to emancipate Nigeria from corruption and the corrupt, journalists have a great role to play. Your role in this crusade is conferred by the potency of the weapon that is in your hands as pressmen and women. Journalism, you would agree with me, is a frontline profession when it comes to nation building and the search for development.
Throughout history, the media has played momentous roles in different societies in tackling a number of malfeasances, including corruption. Such turning point interventions by the media have also occurred at different points in Nigeria.
In the case of the fight against corruption, the Nigerian media should continuously rise up and resist the continuous desecration of our country. Corruption debases our national ethos and values, and inhibits our well-being as a people. As the acclaimed voice of the voiceless, the media should be up against corruption in all forms.
However, for the media to effectively fight corruption, there must be self-purgation in the sector. The media should purge itself of corruption and stand up firm on the path of integrity, in order to discharge its function effectively.
As I always say: corruption cannot fight corruption. He who is morally challenged has no moral right to sermonise on morality. And when the morally deformed person attempts to rise against immorality, hardly does he ever succeed and often he ends up ridiculing such moral responsibility.
The cardinal objectives of journalism, including the upholding of honesty, probity, and the fight against injustice and lack of patriotism, sit very well with the teachings of Islam. In fact, fighting for the oppressed and telling the truth are some of Islamic injunctions that are repeated a number of times in the Qur’an and for which Allah promises abundant rewards.
Therefore, as Muslim media practitioners, you should first see your positive role in the fight against corruption as an act of worship. Allah enjoins Muslims against injustice, and there is no injustice greater than cornering what belongs to the generality of the people as one’s own.
The media is, therefore, needed to champion the anti-corruption message and always stand for what is right. As a journalist, you should make it a point of principle to never join forces with people you ought to help the public to fight. Above all, the fear of God should be the guiding principle always. At points of temptation, always prick your conscience; ask yourself what is in the public interest. Ask yourself: what or who is on the side of the truth before making news judgments or lending yourself to any cause.
Ramadan Kareem
Malam Ribadu is a former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commissiion (EFCC).
These remarks were delivered at the Ramadan lecture organised by the Muslim Media Practitioners Association of Nigeria at the National Mosque, Abuja on June 3, 2017
