The potency of the worldwide argument that untrained “journalism” practitioners are dangerous interlopers of the journalism profession was adequately captured recently by Lere Olayinka, the cerebral Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media to the Honorable Minister for FCT, Barrister Nyesom Wike when he engaged the entry module of mass communication, (Journalism 101 – Introduction to Journalism) to educate the Arise TV – The Morning Show anchors why they cannot be professionally profiled as journalists but OAPs – On Air Personalities.
On the show which was held on 1 May, 2025, were its thwacker – Reuben Abati, poster boy – Rufai Oseni, and BBA queen – Vimbai Mutinhiri. Un-rattled, unruffled, and well composed, despite their weaponization of gaslight, trivia, slam, jab, manipulation, and intimidation, occasioned by mouth-corner laughter, eye-rolling mockery, and hostility, Lere like a professor of journalism, unflinchingly engaged eyeball-to-eyeball with The Morning Show anchors and emphatically nail home the pristine truth that a journalist like any other professional got to be trained.
The issue that led to Lere’s professorial tutorial was Dele Momodu’s willful, wanton, wild, and malicious accusation of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike of being responsible for Peter Obi’s self-expulsion from the PDP in the build-up to the 2023 elections. Except, perhaps, those living in a bubble, the whole world knew that Peter Obi had to leave on his own volition to gain space to fly the presidential flag. Even a day-old Nigerian baby knew that Obi was pushed out of the PDP by Atiku Abubakar’s inordinate ambition and insatiable greed.
Lere elaborated on the brutal truth: “How did Wike frustrate Peter Obi out of PDP? .. Immediately after the 2023 elections, Otumber Gbenga Daniel who was Atiku’s campaign Director General left the PDP for APC, he dumped Atiku! Was it Wike that made Gbenga Daniel to dump Atiku at that time, eh? Now after the 2023 elections, Daniel Bwala who was Atiku’s spokesperson, dumped him! … The person who was his running mate has left PDP. Was it Wike that made Okowa to leave? Is it also Wike that is making eeeh Udom Emmanuel to want to leave? The issue is this. Let us address the personality of Atiku Abubakar. Since 2003, he has been doing all these things. He is too selfish, he wants to be President at all costs” (Sic).
To Lere, the question of whether “Nyesom Wike frustrated Peter Obi out of the PDP” was far too mischievously pedestrian for any credible journalist to ask—let alone promote. He believed it was essential, therefore, for the public to first examine the professional qualifications of Dele Momodu, the mastermind of the question, and the show’s anchors to properly situate the day’s discussion. Using Dele Momodu and Rufai Oseni as typical examples, Lere extrapolated: “… Dele Momodu went to the university to study Yoruba. On a normal thing when you study Yoruba what are you supposed to become? … You are supposed to become a Babalawo now! .. Oseni Rufai, you studied Animal Anatomy. And what are you supposed to become? Mai Suya or Mai tsire, now! You cannot face me and call yourself a journalist. .. I am a journalist! Dele Momodu is not because he did not study journalism, simple!” (sic).
Indeed, Lere was only rehashing the most elementary knowledge in the journalism discipline. It is common knowledge that before you can be effectively called a journalist you must be trained as one! In this sense, it is clear that journalism is indeed not for everybody. The commitment is unique and special. The problem has been however a failure of the show’s anchors to realize this, and to equate journalism with Yoruba, Animal Anatomy, Theatre Arts, political science, philosophy, economics, law and diplomacy, etc.
It has been very clear to even the least un-journalistic mind that the Arise TV Morning Show anchors have a different kind of training and priority other than the idealized vision and mission of journalism which is un-prejudiced pursuit of truth. Apart from perpetuating a hostile and toxic studio environment occasioned by on-air-bullying, the anchors have premised their media practice on political affiliations, and media merchandising, and are merely dancing to the tune of the piper payer. As Messrs Dele Alake and Bayo Onanuga put it in the build-up to the 2023 elections, the show is “a racket by the Arise TV owner, Nduka Obaigbena, designed to embarrass and harass … with Reuben Abati, leading the pack” (sic). Truth be told, Lere Olayinka was very kind to the anchors of the show by merely referring to them as “On-Air Personalities – OAPs.” Their appropriate professional appellation should be, “On-Air Blackmailers – OABs.”
Journalistically, there is a sickness in the soul of the Arise TIV – The Morning Show. As Messrs Alake and Onanuga have rightly pointed out, “over the years, the show, has been well-known for a perverse and ignoble approach to media practice, an approach that continues to undermine the integrity of the journalism profession in the entire world, and Nigeria in particular.” It hardly needs saying therefore that among the Arise TV audience, there exists a deep-seated degree of mistrust about the good faith of the channel.
If Nigerian mass media owners ignore, deal lightly with, or even glorify unqualified individuals within the industry, the Nigerian mass media regulators have done worse, and share the highest portion of the blame. Where and when a profession or craft is not well-regulated, demagogues and quacks have a field day. If the Arise Morning Show anchors want to answer the appellation of a journalist, they must first render themselves to journalistic training. Journalism is too serious to be left in the hands of the untrained, charlatans and prejudiced elements who are sinisterly deceptive, mischievous, manipulative, and provocative.
Dr. Okidu, a Journalism Teacher writes from Ilorin
