I have heard of Kennesaw State University, Georgia (KSU) a fair number of times. The institution is apparently revered for its School of Nursing. The 2020 elections also further put Georgia on the map, not to mention the election of newbies Jon Ossoff and Rev Raphael Warnock as Senators.

One thing the Georgia elections managed to achieve was that fake news, fabricated reporting and outright lies had no place in Georgia and definitely not at KSU. For the most part, KSU is usually in the news for all the right reasons; in 2019, it was ranked amongst the best colleges to study in the United States.

However, I foresee a devastating injury to the university’s reputation, a certain professor who happens to be a bad representation of the university. One who majors in fake news, lies, falsehood and propaganda. Unlike many, KSU Associate Professor of Journalism, Dr. Farooq Kperogi, only thrives in fabricating news which he often times has to delete, deny or even apologise for.

Don’t get this wrong, I laud him for occasionally checking the excesses of the government and public office holders. I think he is doing a good job putting those in government on their toes but when blackmail and fake news become a la carte, then we have a problem.

A simple input of his name on Google and fake news readily accompanies it. It is his stock in trade, anyone reading between the lines can easily tell that he got into KSU by telling shedloads of lies. For those who do not know Kperogi, he can be convincing when he writes or speaks, put simply, he has mastered the art.

He does not need a motivation to tell or fabricate outright lies, most of his tweets are laced with it. As a journalist, one would expect that most of his claims are backed with evidence but this is a scarce commodity in Kperogi’s store.

There are ethics of journalism known to even undergrads, we call them the basics. The primary thing every journalist should observe is accurate and factual reporting, this seems to elude Kperogi. It makes one wonder what he teaches at the university? I want to believe it is not the first time KSU is reading of his exploits.

In KSU Sentinel, an article titled, “Kennesaw State Professor defends himself against fake news accusations” details how Kperogi was called out for fake news and how he attempted a failed damage control.

His notoriety for fake news is not limited to one article, as a matter of fact, there are countless articles that have attempted to capture his long history of blackmail and lies.

TheJour published an article titled, "7 Professional Lies From Farooq Kperogi". If that is not enough proof or evidence of his shameful journalistic career, the article published by SwiftReporters titled "The Front-man For Fake News, Falsehood and Fanciful Fallacies puts things in perspective.

The International Centre for Investigative Reporting Nigeria once fact checked Kperogi's 2019 tweets on Nigeria’s election outcome and found that his posts were laced with lies.

What does he teach the students at KSU? Lies, fake news, fabrications? I hope Kperogi takes this in good faith and turns a new leaf. He poses a huge threat to KSU, and I’m sure that for a school reputed for their study abroad and international relations, an associate professor like Kperogi is not one you want doing publicity for you.

Abdulmumin Ishiaku writes from Ikeja, Lagos state