The Guild was founded in 1962 by Alhaji Lateef Jakande and other like minds in order to provide a rallying forum for the editorial members so that they could have a professional path for the media industry’s growth.
On May 21, 2019, Ray Ekpu wrote in The Guardian newspapers where he stated that in 1982, the Guild had its conference in Minna, Niger State. I was Editor of Sunday Times and a Presidential Candidate. On the other side was Alhaji Ibrahim, the Director General of the NTA who only became a registered member of the Guild at that conference. Alhaji Umaru Dikko, the NPN Minister of Transport who bankrolled Ibrahim’s campaign wanted to put the Guild in his pocket. We resisted him and his party. That is how the Guild died for 10 years until Mr. Onyema Ugochukwu and a few other editors revived it in 1992”.
Meanwhile, on October 30, 2020, Governor Nyeson Wike of Rivers State drew the attention of the Guild to the laxity in its performance as the society watch dog. The Governor wanted the media to stop giving governors awards; he demanded that the Governors should be challenged so that they can be alive to their responsibilities. The Governor said that in the time past, the Nigeria Press was a strong voice and conscience f the society, but wondered what has whittled down their powers. He continued “what I have seen of you is that you praise us and give us award because of relationship or friendship. That’s not the way it should be. Challenge us; the people in authority and we will sit up to our responsibilities. We will have no choice than to perform and serve the people as it should be. My support for you has to do with the fact that you are supposed to tell the truth of what is happening in Nigeria. There was a time you were exposing the ills of the society. If not for you, certain things will not be known. Assume your role, grow strong again and speak out”.
It is a statement of fact that some media houses have seen giving of awards to politicians as a way of increasing their sources of income. Governor Wike remains the major beneficiary because majority of the media firms had given awards to him. In most instances, the conferences are more or less a jamboree aimed at networking for personal gains.
Governor Wike made this statement when Mustapha Isah, the president of NGE led his members on a courtesy call to the government house. Regrettably, the president was unable to seize the opportunity to talk about bad governance that is more pronounced at federal, state and local governments level. Instead, he showered encomiums on the Governor for his performances. This was even when “genocide” was being alleged to be going on in Obigbo Local Government Area as an aftermath effects of the #EndSARS protest where civilians, some police and military personnel loss their lives of which the Governor earlier spoke about. The reaction of NGE President was too complimentary and salutary.
In his speech, the President of Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), Mustapha Isah said “governor Wike has remained consistent in his support to the guild. You are the only government that has sponsored our annual conference back to back. Even if we have a new leadership, that will not affect the friendship we share with you.
Anytime I come to Port Harcourt, there is always a new project on-going. Flyovers are being constructed, existing roads are being expanded, and new roads being built.
This is your second term and you’re maintaining what you said that you’ll work until the last day of your tenure. You have zeal and passion in handling issues of Rivers state, from covid-19 to issues of security.
Projects don’t hide, even your political opponents will see them. They may murmur, but they will use them. Your excellency, keep up with your good job”, he said.
This is not to say that Governor Wike has not performed but there is still room for improvements in the rendering of dividends of democracy to the people of Rivers state.
Online medium reported this encounter while most of the mainstream/traditional newspapers did not.
Thereafter, Governor Wike led NGE team to inspect the ongoing projects in the state. the projects inspected were Rebisi Flyover, Real Madrid Football Academy, the mother and child specialist hospital and Ogoni Andoni Opobo unity road.
Some of the members have reservations about how the affairs of the Guild are being managed; few people had spoken while majority has decided to remain silence.
Among those who had spoken out was Ray Ekpu. He said that the Guild must amend its constitution to create a level playing field for everybody who is a member. It was a mistake, a sad mistake, to create a category of membership called Associate Members. Associate members are usually student members who can graduate to full members on graduation and entry into the world of work. For me, once you are a member, you are a member forever. You cannot be downgraded, you can only be upgraded to a Fellow. All members including Fellows should have the right to vote and be voted for once they meet all financial obligations and have no disciplinary case against them. He concluded by saying that the attempt to exclude certain persons, especially the older members from the affairs of the Guild is discriminatory and unacceptable.
Steve Osuji, a veteran journalist equally spoke. Unfortunately, his derogatory description of the guild made some members to look the other way in respect of his submission. He said: “At a point in the course of the charade, I began to wonder if it was still the NIGERIAN GUILD of Editors gathered or the guild of idiots?”
After his disqualification from contesting for the post of NGE President in 2019, he posted this on his facebook page thus: “My attempt to contest wasn’t about me, it was for the sake of the Guild and to save them from themselves. They perhaps didn’t notice that the Guild has become odious to respectable publics; This according to him made invited important personalities like Vice President Osinbajo, information minister, Lai Mohammed and even the host governor Ambode to stay away from the event. Something he said has never happened before. My coming was an attempt to allow some light into a much-debased GUILD caught in the clutches of a soulless band not unlike Nigeria! While I have left them with the carion, I will remember to say some prayer for them they need it sorely”, he concluded.
Yinka Oyegbile, a senior editor was so enraged to the point of posting on his facebook page that the Guild is gradually losing its relevance.
Reason behind the Guild’s action is not far fetched; just to secure government assurance to host the its conference. Rivers state government has done so twice in the recent past. Findings reveal that the South- South region has been hosting and sponsoring the NGE conferences in the last one and half decade. The states in the region are Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers. However, South West region has remained the place for NGE elections.
The Guild should be able to foot its bills in view of the members numerical strength. This can be in form of dues and levies. This will disabuse the Guild from asking governors to sponsor its programmes thereby remain untainted.
It won’t be out of place to reason that previous occupants of the Guild leadership position use such positions to negotiate for governments appointments. Garba Sheu, Femi Adesina and Funke Egbemode among others were former presidents who are now the government’s media aides.
The industry is plagued with many challenges; the Guild should be at the fore front of proffering solutions to those factors that inhibit the declaration of profit at the end of a fiscal year. Effect of covid-19 has compounded the industry’s woes and it has not find it necessary to organize a summit to discuss the way forward. Even, if Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN) is not doing the needful, it should not debar the Guild from leading the way.
There must be rigorous training programmes every year for editors. It needs not be an abroad training. With the support of the Embassies, the Guild can bring experts in certain fields from Britain, Canada, United States and especially India where the newspapers are still flourishing despite the presence of digital media. It would be nice to know what magic they perform to get the readers asking for more. Bringing experts here will provide an opportunity for many editors to be trained at once without any long period of absence from their work.
In view of the foregoing, NGE has a greater task ahead; it has to put its house in order. It also needs to build confidence of its members; there should be a thorough re-organisation. In fact, it has to review its operations before setting agenda for the survival of the industry. It should be the rallying point for the media industry and remain at the forefront whenever the interest of any of its members is being jeopardized.
Abiola Ayankunbi, MD/CEO at AbingMO3 Marketing Management Consultancy
08023051315
abiolaayankunbi@yahoo.com
