₦airaland Forum

Schemerkhiz:
Patricia George hasn't Played for any Country yet even at age grade level, as a dual citizen she's open to Play for Nigeria, USA and Venezuela.

Her management has already spoken with the NFF VP about her international Passport which was the major issue she didn't honour Coach Thomas Dennerby call ups last year and it has been resolved. so expect her in the Falcons Soonest...

Report has it that Venezuela Coach is already coming after Patricia George too but she has committed her International future to Nigeria just like her elder sister did representing Nigeria in Athletic at Olympics and All African Games

Igwe Alex Nwokedi – A Fair & Godly Man Goes Home (TRIBUTE)

November 17, 2020 -

by Epa Ogie Eboigbe

Igwe Alexander Ezeoba Nwokedi will be fondly remembered by many of us as a man who made his mark in every endeavour he was involved in – and these ventures cut across various walks of life, especially in journalism, public affairs, sports, the board room and as the leader of his people of Achalla Community in Anambra State.

His death on Monday 11th May 2020 brought to an end 84 years of stellar performances in the fields he delved into while on earth and where he achieved many ‘firsts’.

He disclosed in an interview a few years ago how in the 50s, late Rev. Fr. Denis Slattery convinced him while he was a student at St. Gregory’s College, Lagos to start writing for the Catholic Herald. In his own words during that interview: “What inspired me in my early life as a journalist was the early discovery of me by those who hunted for it. A Father Slattery would beg me to write reports for him to be used in Catholic Herald. I was then the Editor-in-Chief of what we called ‘Gregorian Standard’ where we wrote approved compositions and people picked it up to read.”

That same young man, later to become Ogbuefi and then Igwe Nwokedi, became the all-round communications specialist, from being a reporter for the Daily Times in 1955, Assistant Publicity Officer, Eastern Nigerian Information Service in 1957, Chief Sub-Editor, Nigeria Outlook in 1958 and in 1960, became Senior Reporter with Nigeria Broadcasting Corporation (Radio Nigeria). In 1974, he was appointed the first Public Relations Manager of the Electricity Corporation of Nigeria, ECN, which later became NEPA.



In 1976, he was appointed Chief Press Secretary to General Olusegun Obasanjo, then Head of State and Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces, a position he kept when he was also made the first Chief Press Secretary to Alhaji Shehu Shagari when Shagari became President in 1979. He was thus Chief Press Secretary to two Heads of State.

After his stint at the State House in 1980, Alex Nwokefi was appointed Public Relations Manager of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, from where he retired as General Manager after more than 10 years of service.

Professionally, he was Secretary of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Lagos from 1958 to 1966 and later served as Secretary-General, NUJ (National) from 1976 to 1977, before he was appointed Chief Press Secretary to General Obasanjo.

In the Public Relations field, he was, along with the likes of Samuel Epelle, L. Scott-Emuakpor, Bob Ogbuagu and Steve Rhodes, one of the founding fathers and Secretary-General of the Public Relations Association of Nigeria, PRAN, that metamorphosed into the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, NIPR, of which he was a Fellow.

Popular among the Lagos and Media circles as Ogbuefi Alex Nwokedi, he was crowned as the Igwe of Achalla in Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra State on Saturday 20th April, 1996 and became His Majesty, Igwe Alex Ezeoba Nwokedi V, Uthoko of Achalla.

A recipient of the national honour of Officer of the Order of the Nigeria, OON and former Chairman, Anambra State Council of Traditional Rulers Anambra State as well as Chairman of the Nine Eastern Nigerian Traditional Rulers Council, he was a director of the United Bank for Africa (UBA) and the Anambra Broadcasting Service. He also served the nation as Chairman of the Nigerian Cricket Association, Vice-Chairman, Nigeria Anti-Apartheid Committee, Chairman, Anambra State Vision 2010 Committee and Chairman Anambra State Stadium Corporation, among others.

I first encountered the great man in 1979 when as airport correspondent for Radio Nigeria based at Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja in Lagos, our group would be the last group Igwe, then known as Ogbuefi, and the Head of State would meet and speak with before they jet out to any destination and we would also be the last team they would meet to speak with when they returned. He and I had a special relationship, with him having also worked as a reporter for Radio Nigeria earlier in his life. He had a good rapport with everyone and his brand of public relations was with the personal touch, as he would not mind turning up at the residence of any journalist who was celebrating or mourning. Even though he was Press Secretary to the Head of State, he did not mind delivering press releases to editors at home or the newsroom himself.

I recall an occurrence in 1979 when he appeared at the airport and told all of us journalists to get in the plane to go cover the mediation talks which the then Chief of Staff Supreme Headquarters, Brigadier-General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua was going to take charge of, at the Bagauda Lake Hotel in Kano between the Chadian factional warriors, Goukouni Weddeyi and Hissene Habre. It was to be a quick trip to and from Kano same day, or so we thought, but we ended staying in Kano for almost a week because the two Chadian sides refused to settle their differences. All we had were the shirts on our backs but Igwe ensured no one suffered too much stress. He was like a father to all. That Chadian war was to last for many more years!

When the military handed over to the civilians in Nigeria in October 1979 and Igwe continued as Chief Press Secretary, this time to President Shagari, he practically ‘dragged’ most of all Airport Correspondents to State House, Ribadu Road, this time as State House Correspondents, to cover the new government. Even when he later relocated to NNPC as Head of Public Affairs, many of us always had one excuse or the other to cover the energy beat to ensure he also succeeded in his new task.

When I joined United Bank for Africa in 1995, who else did I meet there but Igwe on the Board. Not only that, he was Chairman of the Board Committee on Government and Public Affairs and I was the Secretary by virtue of my position and Head of Corporate Affairs. This committee would later become UBA Foundation and Igwe had to deal with many contentious issues which come with the turf. We had a good time together, planning how to ensure good image and stability in those days of bank take-overs and government threats of intervention. Many of our interactions would be in his residence but when he comes to the bank, he comes straight to my office for us to rub minds and for him to meet with the staff who all loved his approach and friendly disposition. Other directors would usually call for you to meet up on the executive floor or the board room, but that was not Igwe’s style. He was a man of the people. As director, Igwe insisted he wanted the bank to hold its Annual General Meeting one of those years, close to his domain and that was how we had the AGM in Nike Lake Hotel and he hosted the bank and other guests in his palace in Achalla. It was a memorable event.

The last time I met Igwe Alex Ezeoba Nwokedi was in 2005 at the Ss Philip & James Catholic Church, Lekki-Epe Expressway in Lagos. I had gone for midday Mass in the church which was just two houses away from the UBA branch I was running then, and there he was, sitting in the pew with no cap or crown on his head. I knew Igwe was a humble man, having known him since 1979; but a traditional ruler who removes his head gear in church in Nigeria? It was strange because almost all the traditional rulers we see in church keep their head covered, against what Christians usually insist on for men. My curiosity had gotten the better of me once when I had to ask a priest why these men do not remove their crowns or caps in respect to God in church and believe me, the priest could not convince me why the traditional rulers are not asked to remove their head covering in church. But here was an Igwe, a first class traditional ruler who would also later become the Chairman of Anambra State Council of Traditional Rulers, respecting his maker and refusing to equate himself with Him.

That encounter showed me a different side of Igwe Alex Nwokedi, even though I already knew him in various spheres of human endeavour. He and I towed the same career path – from journalism to public relations and into banking and we related in these areas of endeavour.

He will be buried on Friday 27th November 2020 after a funeral Mass at St. Paul’s Catholic Church, Achalla. He was a detribalized Nigerian who was at home anywhere but was mostly a ‘Lagos Boy’, having schooled and practiced Journalism and Public Relations in the then Nigerian capital and married his Lagos heartthrob, Chief Mrs. Kofo Nwokedi who was also at a time Chairman of Nigerian Weightlifting Federation. He had no choice but to speak Yoruba fluently.

I still remember one of the discussions we had when he became Igwe. He sat me down and explained that he was not the one who should have been selected as Igwe but his two elder brothers, Justice Nowkedi and Willie Nwokedi, declined so he had no alternative but to pick up the mantle. Mischievously, I asked him what he was going to do since, from rumours, an Igwe was expected to marry a virgin to ascend the throne and with his Catholicism and his tough Lagos-born wife, Nigerian Weightlifting Federation President Chief (Mrs.) Kofo Nwokedi. He looked at me with his piercing eyes and also mischievous grin and said all those rumours and traditions were from those days.

Rest in peace, Igwe Alexander Ezeoba Nwokedi, OON, FNIPR.

Epa Ogie Eboigbe, veteran journalist, broadcaster and public affairs specialist writes on, and analyses current and historical issues with a ‘wise pen’.

Ishilove:
They are responsible to the people and if they know they don't want to do their jobs they should resign and let others take over. We cannot be paying tax to fund their salaries only for them to sit their corrupt asses down and not earn their salaries.

Brandonx:
I'm not against the news here I'm against unverified news on the front page. Or you think most persons have that time to start going to the link to check the authenticity?

naptu2:
Newspaper, blog and forum. The problem with the media today

A lot of people are confused about the difference between a newspaper, a blog and a forum. This is responsible for a lot of the problems in and criticisms of the media today. I’ll explain the difference in the processes.


Newspapers.

Newspapers deploy huge resources in order to be able to report the news accurately and in a timely fashion. The most important thing in the news business is not your ability to write perfect English; rather it is your contacts. I’ll give an example using the recent story of the demolition of the Akachi Tower in Imo State.

A story went viral on social media that the Akachi Tower, which was built by the APC government of former Governor Rochas Okorocha, was being demolished by the new PDP government of Governor Emeka Ihedioha. There were pictures that accompanied the story. What should a newspaper do when it hears that kind of story? These are the most important resources that a newspaper has:

1) Reporters/stringers: A newspaper should send its reporter or stringer in Imo State to go to the tower to see what’s happening for himself. (A stringer is a freelance reporter). The reporter would be expected to do the following:
A) Take pictures of the building as it is being demolished
B) Interview the people that were demolishing the building to find out who sent them and why they were demolishing the building.
C) Interview eyewitnesses on the scene.

2) Contacts: Newspaper reporters and editors ensure that they have the phone numbers and contact details of prominent people in society; so that they can easily call them up if the need arises. In fact, reporters and editors cultivate friendships with these people, so that they can easily interview them when the need arises. Therefore, the newspaper should try to interview the following people:

A) The governor or his media aide or the commissioner of information: To put the government’s position on record. The allegation was that the government was demolishing the Owerri Tower and therefore, it is necessary to get the government’s official position on the matter (in other words, to hear from the horse’s mouth). The journalist must ask the government official (i) if it’s true that the government is demolishing the tower (ii) why the government is demolishing the tower (if i is true), (iii) the cost implication of demolishing the tower, (iv) and if it’s not the government that is demolishing the tower, then the journalist must ask the government official the legal, security and financial implications of the destruction of the tower.

B) The Family/Land Owners: It was also alleged that the tower was demolished by a family that owned the land on which the tower was built. It was alleged that the government headed by Rochas Okorocha seized the land from the family and the family sued the government and won back their land before destroying the tower (some reports say that the family denied this claim). The journalist must ask the family (i) if it is true that they destroyed the tower, (ii) if it’s true, then the journalist must ask why they destroyed the tower (that is, on what authority did they destroy the tower), (iii) the journalist must also find out the history of their dispute with the government over the land, (iv) If they did not demolish the tower, then the journalist must ask how they heard about the demolition of the tower, (v) their opinion on the demolition of the tower, (vi) what they think about the allegation that they demolished the tower, (vi) what they intend to do next.

C) Rochas Okorocha or his spokesman: That tower was built by Rochas Okorocha, therefore, the newspaper must ask Okorocha (i)how he feels about the demolition of the tower, (ii) if it is true that his administration seized the land from a family (iii) what he intends to do next.


D) Sources: Sometimes the person being interviewed might not want to reveal what is really going on. This might be because of their strategy or because they are not authorized to say what’s really going on or because they do not want to implicate themselves. Therefore, it is important that the newspaper has trusted and reliable sources in government, among Senator Okorocha’s aides or close associates or inside the family that allegedly owns the land. These sources may provide more information beyond what was publicly stated. The newspaper should also ensure that it contacts multiple sources, so that it can determine if their stories tally.

These things must be done in a timely fashion and before deadline. I remember what a professor told his class a long time ago. He said that you can’t bringing your reports to Broadcasting House in Ikoyi when the drums are already beating (remember the old drum signal that preceded the news on Radio Nigeria?).

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Blogs
Blogs began as a means by which people expressed their opinions on things that were dear to their hearts. Some blogs were basically diaries in which the bloggers wrote about major things that happened to them and about their daily lives. Other blogs were about the bloggers’ professional interests and hobbies. For example, an auto mechanic could create a blog about cars and give advice to and learn new tricks from his readers (it could also be a means by which he advertises his services), a musician could create a music blog and share tips and techniques with his readers, a baker could create a food blog, etc.

Most of these blogs are run by individuals and the topics above do not require great investment in resources like journalists, sources and stringers. The blogs are instead based on the knowledge, passion and interests of the blogger.

Some types of blogs require that the blogger has good contacts/sources, for example, a political blog, a defence and security blog or an entertainment gossip blog would require that the blogger has good sources.

However, these blogs are not news sites. They are more like the old newspaper columns, which depend on the knowledge, skill and contacts of the columnists. They were not news reporting sites.

Linda Ikeji was a model and therefore she had a lot of contacts in the entertainment industry. She also studied English Language at the University of Lagos and she was a writer. These helped her to create a blog about the entertainment industry. Gradually she also added political news to her blog and it became the biggest blog in Nigeria. Lots of people subsequently attempted to copy her model by creating news blogs.

The problem is that these people do not have the resources to gather authentic news. They copy stories from social media and other sites and they do not have the reporters, stringer, sources or contacts to verify if these stories are true. So these blogs often post false information.

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Forums
These are discussion sites in which a user can create a topic and other users can comment on that topic. Most of the content in a forum are created by users of that forum.

Forums could be about specific topics, e.g. Cyber Eagles and the old BBC 606 Forum are football forums, or they could be general interest forums like Nairaland.

Users of general interest forums can discuss about things that are happening in their lives, or they can use articles and posts from other media to start discussion threads. For example, Nairaland has many subforums like the Diary Section (which is like a blog), the Family Section (in which people mainly discuss things that are happening in their lives) and the Politics Section (in which 90% of the topics are taken from other mediums).

So, how do you verify what’s accurate and what’s not on a forum?

Forums usually do not have reporters or stringers. People who run forums do not usually call the people that are being discussed to verify that the information in a thread is accurate; rather, forums depend on their members to challenge the information that is posted on their threads.

For example, Nairaland does not have reporters and stringers. Nairaland does not pay people in all the 36 states and Abuja to source for news for it. The admin and mods do not usually call public figures to verify the stories that are posted on the forum. Instead, Nairaland depends on the credibility of other sources (e.g. links to stories on reputable news sites) and the ability of members to debunk inaccurate and fake news.

Unfortunately, many people do not understand this. There was a particular individual that criticised Nairaland and its admin and mods because he believed that they did not do a good job of fact checking and verifying stories. He decided to create a thread in which he planned to show them how it’s done. I decided to frustrate him, because I knew that he had no idea what he was writing about.

Everyday this guy would select threads from the home page and fact check them to determine whether they were true or not (he actually wrote “True” or “False” at the bottom of each post). I knew that the guy had no reporters or correspondents and I knew that he did not know how to properly research stories, so I frustrated him.

For example, there was a thread on the home page about a person that confessed that he shot 2Pac Shakur. This guy ruled that the information was false because nobody had admitted to killing Shakur and the police were still investigating his death. What he did not know (but I knew quite well), was that 2Pac was shot on at least two separate occasions.

2Pac was fatally shot in September 1996. We do not actually know who shot him (although there are many good theories about that). However, 2Pac was also shot 5 times in November 1994. It was this incident that led to his feud with the Notorious BIG, Sean “Puffy” Combs and Bad Boy Records.

2Pac accused the Notorious BIG, Sean Puffy Combs and Jimmy Henchman of being behind the 1994 attack. In 2011, Dexter Isaac, a man who was serving a life sentence for murder, confessed that he was one of the 3 men that shot 2Pac in 1994 and that Jimmy Henchman paid him to attack and rob 2Pac. Jimmy Henchman is also currently serving a life sentence for ordering a hit on another rapper. That rapper was shot dead.

This was what the thread was about, but that guy ruled that the story was false and so I corrected him. He also ruled that a lot of true stories were false and vice versa and I corrected him on each occasion until he gave up and abandoned the thread.

Nairaland officially has 2,337,685 members (it’s less than that because many people have multiple accounts) and chances are that, if I create a thread in which I claim that there has been an explosion on Awolowo Road, there will be another Nairalander on Awolowo Road that will either corroborate or denounce my story. This - the use of links to official sites and reputable news sites and the fact that people that are mentioned on Nairaland threads can sign up and state their own side of the story, are the ways in which Nairaland verifies information.


Competition

Like I wrote earlier when I referred to the drums at Radio Nigeria, it is important that a journalist files his reports on time. No one likes stale news. However, this has led to a problem. Blogs and social media can get the news out very quickly, partly because they do not have to go through the usual procedures that a journalist should follow, i.e. hear from multiple sources, contact the subject to get his side of the story, etc. Yet, established newspapers have to compete with these bloggers and with social media. This has led to a degradation of journalistic standards. A perfect example is what has happened to Vanguard Newspapers.

Vanguard was one of the biggest and most reputable newspapers in Nigeria in the 1980s. However, it has lost its reputation in the past 6 years. This is partly because they are in a hurry to publish stories without properly verifying that they are correct. They have had to apologise to public figures numerous times because they have made false allegations and written untruths about them. The newspaper is now no better than the many blogs out there that are published by a single individual who sits in his/her bedroom copying stories from social media accounts.

Assistant Commissioner of @PoliceNG in Edo is alive and recovering. Please discard news of his demise.