Uzodimma’s Spokesman, Nwachuku, Admonishes Youths against Wrong Use of Internet

BEING PAPER PRESENTED BY OGUWIKE NWACHUKU, CHIEF PRESS SECRETARY/SPECIAL ADVISER (MEDIA) TO GOVERNOR HOPE UZODIMMA OF IMO STATE, ON THE 2022 IMO INTERNATIONAL YOUTH DAY SUMMIT, ORGANISED BY THE YOUTH WING OF CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (YOWICAN), AT CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION ON NIGERIA (CAN) SECRETARIAT, HOSPITAL ROAD, UMUGUMA, OWERRI ON OCTOBER 15, 2022.

PROTOCOL

Preamble:

When Rev. Fr. Bede Nwoko called me sometime in July and said he had a letter from the Office of the Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Imo State Chapter, inviting me to this event, I thought the idea was to have me as part of the audience, not as a resource person.

It was not until I got to my office and read a letter from the Youth Wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria (YOWIGAN) that it dawned on me Fr. Nwoko had “committed” me behind my back. A WhatsApp message the priest sent to me even said it all.

As I struggled with the “conspiracy” over my invitation, I did not waste time to ask myself: Why me? Not because I lack what to say or qualified to speak on the subject under consideration. Far from it! Why me, because of the schedule of my office that is somehow inter-twined with that of my principal, and so, finding the time to properly play the role I had been assigned to could pose some challenges.

However, I chose to ask myself again: Does CAN intend to use this event to test my faith? Don’t I think the leadership of CAN is aware of the battle I have been fighting over fake news through my office as the Governor’s spokesman and would want me to share my experience with them? Willy-nilly, I told myself that I would find time to come and speak today and, to the glory of God, I am here regardless of all circumstances.

I am therefore thankful of this great privilege to be in the midst of highly cerebral personalities – spiritual and temporal – to share my own thought on the topic assigned to me by the organizers.

To say I am excited about the topic assigned to me – Information Sourcing Through Internet: What to believe – is an understatement as you will soon discover.

 Definition of concepts

 I want us to look at the key words that are critical to this lecture. Words like information, sourcing and Internet.

According to the Oxford Dictionary (1),  information means: facts provided or learned about something or someone. It also means what is conveyed or represented by a particular arrangement or sequence of things.

Sourcing, according to the dictionary, means: to obtain from a particular source or to find out where (something) can be obtained.

Internet, as defined by the dictionary, simply means a global computer network, providing a variety of information and communication facilities, consisting of interconnected networks using standardised communication protocols.

 I also like us to share the dictionary meaning of false. It means: not according with truth or fact; incorrect, untrue, wrong, erroneous, fallacious, faulty, flawed, distorted, inaccurate, inexact, imprecise, invalid, unfounded, untruthful, fictitious, concocted, fabricated, invented, made up, trumped up, unreal, counterfeit, forged, fraudulent, spurious, misleading and deceptive.

When something is false, it also means attempt to imitate (something) in order to deceive. It is artificial, fake, synthetic, simulated, reproduction, replica, ersatz, faux, plastic, man-made, dummy, mock, sham, bogus, so-called, counterfeit, feigned, forged, phoney, fakey, pretend, pseudo. It could as well mean illusory, not actually so or even disloyal or unfaithful.

I have listed more than 50 words to justify when something is false, but only three words – correct, truthful or genuine – as opposite of the word, false.

 I am aware that part of what is expected of me is to show how false information has become a disturbing factor in our society and among our youths. Yes, our youths, because they are believed to be the major users of the Internet facilities globally. They belong to this era we call Internet age. And they are the demography that has been caught by the new media fever or bug.

I will try my possible best to be explicit, such that when we leave this arena, we would have been properly equipped to distinguish between false information that is destructive to us as humans and our society, from credible or factual information that has the potential of adding value to our lives in particular and the society at large.

It was a Canadian thinker/philosopher and media theorist, Herbert Marshall McLuhan (July 21, 1911 – December 31, 1980), who predicted a more connected world, through technology (Wikipedia). 2

 In other words, McLuhan is the proponent of the concept of the world becoming a “Global Village.” He coined the word 58 years ago – in 1964 precisely and predicted that there would be time when rural communities would no longer be separate entities, but interconnected parts.

 In the early 1960s, McLuhan wrote that the visual, individualistic print culture would soon be brought to an end by what he called “electronic interdependence” wherein electronic media replaces visual culture with aural/oral culture. In this new age, humankind would move from individualism and fragmentation to a collective identity, with a “tribal base.” McLuhan’s coinage for this new social organisation is the global village.

Says McLuhan: “Instead of tending towards a vast Alexandrian library, the world has become a computer, an electronic brain, exactly as an infantile piece of science fiction. And as our senses have gone outside us, Big Brother goes inside. So, unless aware of this dynamic, we shall, at once, move into a phase of panic terrors, exactly befitting a small world of tribal drums, total inter-dependence and superimposed co-existence. Terror is the normal state of any oral society, for in it everything affects everything all the time.”

 Communication in Nigeria

Those who are old enough will recall the era of writing letters and posting same to the receiver through the post office. This was a means of communicating or transmitting message or information that thrived for a very long time. I do not know the efficacy of post offices today as means of communication the way we used to know.

We could also remember other methods or means of communication like the use of Telegram, Fax Machine, the wired telephone, which NITEL was in charge of in Nigeria. In this telephony system by NITEL, one’s house or office could be wired to a distribution box on the street and a pole, which carried the phone signal to its destination.

Gradually, in 2003, Nigeria saw Nokia 1100, Sony Ericson, etc. At this stage, we were gradually getting to the “Global Village” as predicted by McLuhan.

We witnessed the almighty Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) evolution in 2001. GSM was introduced into the Nigerian market and society on August 6, 2001. That was during the second year of former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s first term in office.

 With the advent of GSM and mobile telecommunication companies in Nigeria like ECONET (Airtel), MTN, GLO and ETISALAT (9Mobile) came telephone handsets.

Before mobile phones, the Internet had been. Social media platforms like, Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Twitter, Eskimi, Pinterest, Reddit, Streemit, Hitwe, among others, followed the Internet, and the stage was set for the “Global Village” as McLuhan had predicted. People can now be in Nigeria and communicate with those in other parts of the world with ease.

The GSM and social media platforms came with their good and bad sides.

Yes, the global community has been able to communicate freely without the encumbrances associated with the “old method” of communication, but this has affected the credibility and believability of certain information from some sources to the receivers.

Many people have taken advantage of this to spread false information, write and air phoney stories.

Internet is one of the veritable sources of information, especially in this Computer Age.

Fake news, which has been around for a very long time, is defined by the Collins English Dictionary Online (3) as “false, often sensational information disseminated under the guise of news reporting.”

 Whether researching on the web for academic or personal purposes, the ability to distinguish fake news from reliable, academic news sources is an important skill to have.

One of the greatest problems inherent in sourcing information from the Internet is that, there is No Quality Assurance of information from the Internet.

One of the reasons is that people post whatever they like to the Internet. Sometimes, the information and their sources are not verifiable.

Another reason is, Inaccuracy of information posted on the web. Yet, another reason someone should not believe every information from the net is that the websites differ in quality, purpose and bias.

However, that doesn’t mean that all information sourced from Internet are false. Some of them are true, reliable and verifiable.

Meanwhile, there are ways one can evaluate the authenticity of information sourced from the Internet or websites. They are: Authority, Accuracy, Objectivity, Currency, Coverage and Appearance. For each criterion, there are several questions to be asked. If the questions receive “yes” answer, the website is likely to be of quality.

 Can one get reliable information from the Internet?

Getting reliable information on the Internet can be challenging. Information on the Internet is much, and it is very difficult to know what to believe or trust. The reason is that some people find it very easy to create websites and start to publish anything they like.

Unfortunately, sometimes, it is difficult to distinguish between fake and real information.

One of the ways to find reliable information on the Internet is to search on Google Scholar. It allows someone to search for free and paid full-tilt articles and books from academic publishers, universities and depositories. The service is free of charge, and it provides one with both printed and digital services.

Another way to determine genuine information from the Internet is to check the author’s credentials. Who is writing the story or article you are reading?

Author’s credentials will help someone to determine whether the information dished out is reliable or not. This is because people sometimes talk about things they barely understand in the Internet. Therefore, don’t bet your life on what you read on the Internet. Try and find out if your sources have a website or Linkedln profile. This is very important, if you really want to figure out their credibility as a writer.

And as Lee E. Krahenbuhl (4), Communication Studies Programme Coordinator said: “Whether you are a journalist, researcher, writer or someone in the professional fields, it is important to know how to identify real information and use it accurately. That’s our real challenge in the 21st century.”

Reliable information must come from a dependable source. According to University of Georgia (UGA) Libraries (5),  a reliable source will provide a “thorough, well-reasoned argument, etc, based on strong evidence.”

Internet is replete with biased, misleading, incorrect information; hence, why it is important to follow the criteria stated above. (Sources: brainly.in,  brainly.ph,  paperpile.com, brainly.com, libanswers.com, scribbr.com, Steveson.edu) (6).

There have been calls at the National Assembly level, to regulate the social media in the country.

Not long ago, the Federal Government sanctioned Twitter for allowing itself to be used to pass what it considered false information. The Nigerian government is not alone in the fight against fake or doubtful reports published on social media platforms. Governments of other countries are also doing the same.

 Recently, a Saudi court sentenced a woman to 34 years over her Twitter activity, according to reports by AFP on Wednesday, August 17, 2022.

Salma al-Shehab, the report said, was sentenced for aiding dissidents seeking to “disrupt public order” in the kingdom.

Shehab, a PhD candidate at Britain’s University of Leeds and a mother of two, was also banned from travelling abroad for further 34 years as part of the sentence.

With about 2,600 followers on Twitter, Shehab had frequently tweeted about women’s rights in the conservative Sunni Muslim country.

A close friend of Shehab told AFP on condition of anonymity that she “did not believe her activity on Twitter would cause her any problem until she was surprised by her arrest.”

If my understanding of the topic under examination is about how the youths of today go about their information dissemination relying on the Internet as major tool, then I am comfortable speaking as a reporter with experience in the conventional media that is today struggling to remain afloat because of the incursion of the new media with all its reliance on the Internet as source.

In the course of practising journalism, the good old way in a typical newspaper setting, the library that is stuffed with books, journals, magazines, periodicals, newspapers (local and foreign) among others formed the major source of information gathering that the reporter relies on to check and cross-check reports that were being processed for publication for public consumption.

Whether the reporter was researching for the purpose of hard news or news analysis, features, opinion, editorial and all, it was a cardinal offence to go to press with any copy at all without ensuring that the basic elements of media practice were taken into account. The rule is that there are two sides of the coin in a good or credible story and reporters must reflect that rule as a matter of compulsion, if their report must be taken seriously or deemed to be objective. The popular refrain is: if you are in doubt, you leave out. The question is: Do those who use the internet as source observe the rule of leaving out if in doubt?

For instance, it was and still is a cardinal offence for a reporter to submit a news item that does not take into cognisance the rule of five Ws and H. That is: Who, When, What, Where, Why and How? Any story that is defective of any of the rules automatically does not qualify for publication and is regarded as rumour, false, fake, cloned or deceptive. The report is not faithful and it would be injurious to serve it to the reading public.

 The structure of the newsroom, generally regarded as a market place of ideas, is such that information sourcing or gathering or even management is further simplified by way of the reporters being assigned beats and held accountable for stories emanating from such beats. Through the beat arrangement, the newspaper managers know who is where and doing what at any point in time. In other words, reporters/writers are not supposed to be faceless.

When you hear about desks in a typical medium house like News, Sports, Business, Features, Politics, Women, Religion, Judiciary, Entertainment, Foreign, Sub-editing (Proof reading) and what have you, the idea is to make sourcing of copies easy, credible and the reporter(s) in charge of the beats accountable, responsive and responsible.

The reporters, line editors and title editors are guided by one rule – the rule of factual or objective reportage – else, the reward mechanism established by the management of the medium will not compensate you with any form of promotion to responsible position.

Today, the reverse is the case as bloggers and those who lay claim to many followers on the social media are celebrated, not because they are dishing out credible information, but because they could be doing more damage to the credibility and image of the opponents of those they are working for.

Blogger, WorldNoor (7), said the Internet is the more extensive organisation that permits Personal Computers (PC) networks throughout the planet run by organisations, states, colleges, and different associations to converse with each other.

The outcome is a mass of links, PCs, server farms, switches, servers, repeaters, satellites and Wi-Fi towers that permit computerised data to go throughout the planet. It is that foundation that allows you to arrange the week-by-week shop, share your life on Facebook, stream Outcast on Netflix, and email your colleagues, teachers and other people.

The Internet addresses one of the best instances of the advantages of supported venture and obligation to innovative work of data framework. Starting with the early examination in parcel exchange, the public authority, industry and the scholarly community have been accomplices in developing and sending this intriguing innovation. This is all possible because of the Internet.

Writing on ‘Types of Internet, A Complete Introduction’ (March 11, 2021), WorldNoor noted that the Internet has become a necessity in today’s world. (8)

He said: “Imagine any scenario and you will realize that Internet is used in every aspect of life now. Internet is a global networking service provider medium that connects computer systems with the world.

“Internet provides organisational computer facilities around the world. Internet is a vast resource of information and services. It uses the Internet protocol suite, Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)/ Internet Protocol Address (IP) to communicate between networks and devices. TCP/IP consists of a set of standardised rules that allow computers to communicate. It serves as a backbone to interconnection and networking technologies. Internet is a network of networks and has different types of Internet. It consists of public, private, academic, business, and government networks of local to global scope, linked by a comprehensive arrangement of electronic, wireless, and optical networking technologies. To connect with the Internet, one should get connected with an internet service provider (ISP).” (9)

Another blogger, SignalBoosters.com, (10) (June, 2020) and Xfinity Discovery Hub, (11) (2022), provide us a guide as to the different types of Internet that are available as source of information. They both agree that the emphasis today is usually on the fastest Internet service provider, perhaps because of the speed at which information is being trafficked around the globe.

 Xfinity Discovery Hub said: “Customers should consider some of the following factors before selecting an Internet package and Internet connection type: connection speed or bandwidth, cost, availability, reliability and convenience. In order to determine what Internet plan is right for you, we recommend you review the different types of Internet connections and connection speeds available on the market today.”(12)

Writing on ‘Understanding the differences between internet connections’ Xfinity Discovery Hub added: “When determining which type of Internet speed and Internet connection type is right for you or your family, it’s important to understand the distinction between each connection. In today’s age, there are numerous ways to connect laptops, desktops, mobile phones, gaming consoles, e-readers and tablets to the Internet. Some of the most widely used Internet connections are described below.” (13)

Mobile: Many cell phone and smartphone providers offer voice plans with Internet access. Mobile Internet connections provide good speeds and allow you to access the Internet.

Wi-Fi Hotspots: Wi-Fi Hotspots are sites that offer Internet access over a wireless local area network (WLAN) by way of a router that then connects to an Internet service provider. Hotspots utilize Wi-Fi technology, which allows electronic devices to connect to the Internet or exchange data wirelessly through radio waves. Hotspots can be phone-based or free-standing, commercial or free to the public.

Dial-Up: Dial-up connections require users to link their phone line to a computer in order to access the Internet. This particular type of connection—also referred to as analog—does not permit users to make or receive phone calls through their home phone service while using the Internet. Now more outdated, a dial-up connection used to be among the most common Internet connection type.

Broadband: This high-speed Internet connection is provided through either cable or telephone companies. One of the fastest options available, broadband Internet uses multiple data channels to send large quantities of information. The term broadband is shorthand for broad bandwidth. Broadband Internet connections such as DSL and cable are considered high-bandwidth connections. Although many DSL connections can be considered broadband, not all broadband connections are DSL.

DSL:  DSL, which stands for Digital Subscriber Line, uses existing 2-wire copper telephone line connected to one’s home so service is delivered at the same time as landline telephone service. Customers can still place calls while surfing the Internet.

Cable: Cable Internet connection is a form of broadband access. Through use of a cable modem, users can access the Internet over cable TV lines. Cable modems can provide extremely fast access to the Internet, making a cable connection a viable option for many.

Satellite: In certain areas where broadband connection is not yet offered, a satellite Internet option may be available. Similar to wireless access, satellite connection utilizes a modem.

ISDN:  ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) allows users to send data, voice and video content over digital telephone lines or standard telephone wires. The installation of an ISDN adapter is required at both ends of the transmission—on the part of the user as well as the Internet access provider. There are quite a few other Internet connection options available, including T-1 lines, T-3 lines, OC (Optical Carrier) and other DSL technologies.

There are several ways that a user’s electronic device can connect to the Internet. They all use different ways to get access to the Internet. Some get the connection to the Internet through hardware and each has a range of connection speeds. As technology changes, faster Internet connections are needed to fit with the speed of the world. A slow Internet connection is of no use.

Fast Internet connection is in demand because today’s work and downloading of applications require a good speed of Internet. Otherwise, these will consume a lot of time on a single task. That is why users demand an internet connection with a high speed. There are different types of Internet connections that are available for home and personal use, paired with their average speeds. Offices and other organizations have access to the Internet at a high speed. It has many advantages in today’s world and provides many useful services. There are many online services on the Internet. Some are explained here.

 Online Services of Internet

The Internet provides different online services. The Internet allows having access to a huge amount of information such as text, web, email, graphics, online gaming, sound, social media, and software updates over the Internet. The examples of online services provided by the Internet are further explained:

Web: The web is a collection of websites stored in web servers and connected to local computers through the Internet.

Email: It is a simple method to send and receive messages through the Internet.

Graphics: The use of arts, diagram for explanation and to make content attractive. These graphics are used in online searches on the Internet.

Online Gaming: Online games are also available and are provided by online service of Internet. It is a good online source of entertainment.

Social Media: These are the websites and apps that allow its users to view and share social media content.

Software Updates: Applications and operating systems are updated via the Internet.

On May 25, 2020, innonews.com, an online blog published an article by Prof. Protus Uzoma tagged ‘Fighting Governor Uzodinma With Fake News’ (14).

In the article, the author talked about the dangers of recourse to fake news and misinformation in Imo State by those who live on the net and their sponsors, for political reasons.

 Prof. Uzoma’s piece which I paraphrased here came handy in dealing with the kernel of this lecture.

“While writing this article, I opened my phone only to read another social media attack and fake news informing us that the government of Imo State has approved the establishment of 15 Almajiri schools in the three geo-political zones. I was shocked to my bone marrows how someone could formulate such heinous and odious news that is capable of causing serious damage and thereby heating the polity…

“The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor quickly did a response to the false information calling it ‘Trash’. On a particular occasion, the manufacturers of this fake news went to the extent of using the letter headed paper of the governor to do this in order to deceive majority of us. This is a criminal offence that should be investigated and offenders be prosecuted…

 “While I sincerely appreciate the effort of the CPS to the governor for responding quickly, I wish to state here that the government of Imo State should investigate all those bloggers that have influenced the minds of Imo people negatively with this kind of news and get them arrested. I am in opposition party, the PDP, but I love Imo State more than my political party. If anyone is interested is destroying Imo, I shall rise against the person whether he is a Governor or President. The person must be dealt with in accordance with the laws of our land. Imolites do not encourage falsehood and as long as our governor remains focused; he will enjoy my support no matter our political differences.

“When Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha governed for seven months before he was legally removed by the Supreme Court, he was never attacked with this level of fake news. Ihedioha enjoyed the respect that was meant for a governor; except few members of the PDP that opposed him for being too parsimonious and thrifty. I do not think that any member of the opposition party opposed him with this level of falsehood and fake news. I sincerely wish to advice members of the opposition parties to discontinue with this dastard act….We must talk with facts in order not to be faulted. Governor Hope has not done any political party any wrong to warrant all these fake news against his administration. Those attacking Uzodimma with fake news should be very careful because the law may catch up with them…

“The opposition in Imo State has been found manufacturing and spreading fake news. Few months ago it was rumoured that Governor Hope turbaned three Emirs in Imo State. The government cleared the air on that, after a little time, the opposition churned out yet another fake news against Governor Uzodimma that he wanted to rename Imo State University to Abba Kyari University. What do they want to achieve? I completely subscribe to the view that criticism is an essential aspect of democracy, but it must follow with facts. We must say what is correct and expose what is real and not spreading falsehood against Senator Uzodimma simply because he is the governor.” (15)

 As pointed out by Prof. Uzoma, my response sent to the media was swift. I wrote: “Please be on the watch out for a fake news linking Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State to approval of 15 Almajiri schools in the state and treat as trash and coming from misguided detractors and agents of destabilisation. Also, please don’t hesitate to be mindful of their wicked intention to undermine the reputation of your hard-earned organisation with such fake news.”

It is important to take us through some reports that were obviously sourced through the Internet but which were blatant lies. In any case, most, if not all the reports were pushed out to embarrass the government of Governor Uzodimma, an indication that they were deliberate.

No sooner had I resumed office on January 17, 2020 than social media adherents, deployed their internet tools to undermine both my office and that of the Governor. I will give us few instances.

On March 8, 2020 there was a fake online report that the Governor’s convoy was attacked when he visited Mmahu Community at Ohaji area of the State. The report, which was obviously done by those working for the opposition party to discredit the government that was barely two months old then, was written in such a way that unsuspecting persons may believe it was true. But the report lacked all the rules of a credible and objective copy.

Governor Uzodimma explained himself what transpired, in a report published by an online newspaper, RipplesNigeria (16) on March 8, 2020.

He said: “I was never attacked. What happened was that I went to  the oil community where they had issues with one of the oil companies to settle the dispute?

“While we were in the hall deliberating on the matter with traditional rulers, some of the youths were outside quarelling. I was not even outside where it happened and after our meeting, we left.

“But I was told that while they were quarelling one of them threw a stone on one of our vehicles in error. And when security operatives picked him he apologised that he threw it at someone else but it mistakenly hit one of our cars.

“So there was nothing like an attack against me. It’s unfortunate that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) tends to politicise everything in this state. And I may take action against people fueling fake news in this State because it is not good for our people. These lies will not help anybody.” (17)

But did Prof. Uzoma’s thoughtful intervention stop the madness? The answer is no as more examples highlighted shortly show.

I am sure many of us read the online fake report (April 2020) that said Governor Uzodimma had renamed Imo State University after Abba Kyari, the late former Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari.

In the said fake report the authors also generated a press release using the government logo of the Office of the CPS and added his name to the statement to make it look real.

A rebuttal from the Office of the CPS as published in TheCable.ng (18)  on April 2020, will help us understand the enormity of what transpired.

 “Since last weekend that Kyari passed on, the same persons have been issuing press statements, forging the logo of government and the name of Mr. Nwachuku with the intent to deceive Imolites in particular and the public in general into believing their propaganda and fake news to be real.

“Ordinarily, the blackmail by the PDP through the two fake statements they credited to the Chief Press Secretary/Media Adviser to the Governor should have been ignored, knowing that no right thinking person will believe them.

“In one of such fake statements they issued and also circulated on social media, they mischievously credited Governor Uzodimma to have said he would immortalize Kyari for ‘making him Governor.’

“How any person could believe the complete trash that Governor Uzodimma will in a condolence letter say that the late Chief of Staff to the President made him governor of Imo?

“Such a senseless and irresponsible blackmail! Not done, the PDP went further to credit yet another fallacy to the CPS/Media Adviser that Uzodimma will rename Imo State University after the late Kyari.

“It was their desperation to deepen the propaganda and criminal intents that drove them to the latest fake news of purported renaming of Imo State University after Kyari, something that only exists in the imagination of their tiny brain. These heartless and infantile fabrications by the PDP do not ordinarily deserve the dignity of a refutal by the respected Office of the CPS/Media Adviser.

 “But the circumstances are not ordinary because it is about playing politics with the dead. It is sad to admit that the PDP has lost every sense of decency and fallen to the beastly level of denigrating the memory of the dead.

“One is not shocked, therefore, to notice that even in their desperation, the PDP could go so low to commit the sacrilege of dragging the name of a late distinguished statesman into gutter politics. This act of madness is both ridiculous and reckless beyond our imagination.

“We are not surprised at the level the propagandists of these fake news and their surrogates have descended, but concerned about how some people will elect to deliberately deceive the public with information they know is outright false and misleading.

“For the avoidance of doubt, let it be known that the two statements in reference were not issued by the office of the CPS/Media Adviser. They were fabricated and issued by the PDP and wickedly credited them to his office. We know exactly the person behind this and appropriate legal steps have been initiated to bring him to book.

“No doubt, we would have loved to ignore these agents of distraction and fake news, but for the fact that we owe Imo people and the public the right to factual information on the activities of a responsible government like ours.

“That is why we enjoin the public, including Imolites, to ignore all the fake news being churned out around the death of Kyari by criminally-minded PDP agents and to also bear in mind that their appetite for wrong causes may not be easy to quench in one fell swoop.

 “We also advise the reading public to take fake news seriously and make conscious efforts to identify the promoters and ensure that they join others who stand against fake news globally to make their trade unattractive.”

On May 14, 2020 in The Nation (19), there was a fake report which my office also rebutted that credited the governor to have paid N8 million to herdsmen for missing cows at Ezinihitte Mbaise, a false information also orchestrated by the opposition who claimed that the Governor met with the leadership of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) at the Government House, Owerri.

It is important to note that in trying to make the report look real, those behind it forged the Government Logo of the Office of the Chief Press Secretary and boldly wrote the name of the CPS to create the impression it was real.

A statement from my Office said it all about the illegality of the report. “Again, today, May 14, 2020, the same people whose stock in trade is to disseminate false reports on social media to satiate the appetite of their paymasters have been paid to do what they and their sponsors are good at criminality. Again, they have failed!

“For the avoidance of doubt, the Government of Imo State under the watch of our able Governor Uzodimma does not know what the PDP-sponsored criminals are talking about as regards the purported payment of N8million and meeting.

“The Office of the Chief Press Secretary/Media Adviser, therefore, dissociates itself from the purported press release and purported payment, the imaginary meetings between the Governor and MACBAN, and the gibberish associated with the non-existent meetings.

 “While the government is very much committed to a society, where constructive criticism helps to bring development, it will continue to have zero tolerance for people who deploy criminality and subjective criticism with the intention of misinforming and misleading the public.

 “It is a shame that the purveyors of fake news on the current Imo State Government have sold their consciences that one wonders if Mac Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook and also owner of WhatsApp, will not be wondering if they are under spell.

“On a day Imo people are reflecting and rejoicing over nearly one billion Naira that has been traced to be in dormant accounts in one bank alone due to the recklessness of the past administrations, a gang of PDP-sponsored social media zealots are busy orchestrating fake news, just to divert attention and cause disharmony. What a shame?

 “The government of Governor Uzodimma is irrevocably committed to good governance and will not be distracted, not even by the resort to fake news by the opposition and their agents as a blackmail tool.

 “The public in general and Imo people in particular should, therefore, ignore every fake news meant to misinform them about Imo State Government activities, more so, as Governor Uzodimma is not interested in telling anybody lies. The era of deceit is gone.

 “We also caution the reading public to be wary of fake news materials they are quick to help the criminal-minded propagandists, blackmailers and enemies of development share on social media as doing so will portray them as accomplices.” (20)

Akin to the false report on payment of N8 million to herdsmen was also another one reported on May 30, 2020, by Theforesight.com (21),  an online blog and on May 31, 2020,the News Track.com (22),  an online newspaper, alleging that Fulani Herdsmen were hiding in different parts of the state. While addressing newsmen, the Governor said there was no such thing and that those spreading the rumour were desperate to destabilise the state.

 Shortly after the Edo State governorship election in September 2020, there was a false report crediting Uzodimma to have spent N3billion in “sponsoring the election.” The author of the report had designed a fake logo of Reuters and used same to publish that Uzodimma spent $5million on Edo governorship election.

In the fake Reuters report, one Stan Walden New York (obviously a fake name), claimed the money was “squandered to appease the ruling party.”

Being familiar with Reuters’ language and logo, I knew the report was false. Also, the author of the press release wrote it on September 19, 2020, but foolishly published the release on a May 20, 2020 template. How many unsuspecting readers will know this? I did not waste time to rebut it as fake and deceitful.

Thesouthernexaminer.com of September 21, 2022 captured my rebuttal in the following words: “No doubt, the authors of the fake reports are obviously the same characters we have always known who have been signing off press releases using the name and Office of the Chief Press Secretary/ Media Adviser to give their criminal, selfish and foolish intent some measure of credibility.

“The recent Edo State governorship election, like many others in the past involving Distinguished Senator Uzodimma, has provided them with yet another opportunity to feed the public with lies, lies and more lies, a vocation that seems to be their only known source of livelihood

“In their desperation to discredit Governor Uzodimma on the outcome of the Edo governorship poll, they have cast innuendos; insinuating that he has rejected the outcome of the governorship election and that he had accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of being compromised, and that the All Progressives Congress (APC) will get judgment from the tribunal.

“Their insinuation also includes that the governor said that the entire process was marred by irregularities from INEC officials who, they claimed, sabotaged the system.

“Obviously relying on the position of Governor Uzodimma as the APC Deputy Chairman for the Edo Governorship Campaign Council, the criminal-minded writers of the irritating fake news did not stop at that. They had insinuated that the governor described the entire exercise as shameful.

“If the authors of the fake reports still have some brain in their head, something would have told them that since Governor Uzodimma is neither from Edo nor Chairman of the APC Media Campaign Council, the mischief they were primed to accomplish will not fly. Of course they don’t have sense.

“They were also so daft to know that the governor was not a candidate in the said election and would not have spoken on an election he was not a candidate.

“But they could not have advised themselves rightly because having been paid princely to discredit the Imo State governor, their sense of reasoning would automatically be blurred.

 “The hallmark of credible news report is the voice the writer adds to it and Reuters could not have published a report that dwells on hearsay like the one many may have been deceived to think emanated from that respected news medium, but we know, did not.

 To also say that in the buffoonery, nay tomfoolery, of those who said Governor Uzodimma rejected the Edo governorship election result, they signed off with the name of the Chief Press Secretary/Media Adviser in a press release purportedly issued on September 19, 2020, but with a template that actually read May 20, 2020, tells a lot about their desperation to blackmail the governor and everything he stands for, using every opportunity at their disposal.

“We have always known, since the coming on board of this administration, about the existence of stuntmen who maintain templates with which they pull off stunts mainly fake news, thinking they will derail the 3-R mantra vision of Governor Uzodimma. That, to us, is mission impossible because the governor knows where he is headed with Imo people.(

“Governor Uzodimma’s passion about taking Imo out of the woods, particularly from the grips of political hawks and merchants of blackmail whose umbilical chord seem tied to fake news and other negative tendencies that cause disaffection cannot be derailed.

 “He has refused to be distracted, even with the fake news that members of the public are fed with from time to time, because he is quite aware of the reason for them.” (23).

If anyone thought those behind spreading of false information in Imo State were done with the government in 2020, the person had better think again.

The abuse of Internet as a source of information was taken to a ridiculous and embarrassing height in 2021 when the front page of a popular national newspaper, THISDAY, was cloned by those who were after Governor Uzodimma. The headline of the said fake report on Friday, August 27, 2021 read: Shocking: Uzodinma Declares Free Marriage For Fulani Settlers And Imo Ladies.

On the same day, Friday, August 27, 2021(24), the headline of THISDAY correct lead story was, ‘Buhari elated as NNPC breaks jinx, declares N287bn profit, first in 44 Years.’

Not only was the management of THISDAY rattled by the madness, but for the first time, the development attracted the attention of the opposition political party in Imo State as the leadership struggled to distance itself from the criminality in a statement the party issued on August 29, 2021.

The PDP statement, published in tribuneonline.com on August 29, 2021 read in part: “The PDP in Imo State hereby vehemently dissociates itself, its leaders, members and media operatives from having hands in the controversial newspaper banner headline: “Shocking: Uzodinma Declares Free Marriage For Fulani Settlers And Imo Ladies” as was purportedly published by THISDAY newspaper on Friday, August 27, 2021. The newspaper has since disclaimed the report as fake and not emanating from their stable.

 “Our party feels strongly libelled, maligned and defamed by the statements and insinuations from certain quarters that the bad press was the handiwork of the PDP in Imo State. We are indeed strongly considering suing persons that may state that PDP is behind the malicious propaganda and blackmail stunt against the person of Governor Hope Uzodinma and his regime.

“In fact, our party proposes that just as Thisday newspaper urged the relevant law enforcement agencies to unravel the culprits of the bad press and bring them to book, Imo PDP charges the appropriate security agencies to expose the orchestrators and perpetrators of that crime and bring them to justice.”

in debunking the fake report, in the edition of THISDAY of August 29, 2021, the managing director, Eniola Bello issued a strongly worded statement that read: ‘Fake digital edition of THISDAY Friday, 27 August 2021 in circulation on social media.’

 “The attention of the management of THISDAY has been drawn to a fake version of our digital edition making the rounds on some social media platforms.

 “With the headline, ‘Shocking: Uzodinma declares free marriage between Fulani settlers and Imo ladies’, this fake version of our digital edition is being circulated on WhatsApp, Facebook and other social media platforms.

“We wish to state that THISDAY at no time published the said story. Our lead story on Friday, August 27 was, ‘Buhari elated as NNPC breaks jinx, declares N287bn profit, first in 44 Years’. Sadly, these merchants of fake news have chosen to leverage on the credibility and integrity of THISDAY to ply their trade.

“We completely reject this poor attempt by some unscrupulous people at impersonating our brand and identity in pursuit of whatever agenda they may have, by seeking to disseminate fake news to members of the public as emanating from THISDAY. For the avoidance of doubt, readers can easily verify our Friday publication from the print edition, or online (www.thisdaylive.com).

 “We, therefore, call on members of the public who may have unwittingly fallen for the cloned digital copy to disregard it and treat it with the utmost contempt it deserves. We also use this opportunity to call on security agencies to help unmask the counterfeiters behind this forgery and bring them to book.” (25)

 The saying that old habit dies hard applies unreservedly to unscrupulous elements, who see fake news as a way of life. I do not think they are living in the world of reality with their own Internet source, hence it will take the grace of God to get them drop the mindset they have developed on false information.

On August 2022, I had cause to draw the attention of the Governor to a fake report on Facebook where the author claimed that he criticised Prof. Chukwuma Soludo over the comment credited to the Anambra State Governor on the return of history in our schools.

According to the said false Facebook report, Governor Uzodimma had knocked Governor Soludo over his comment on the reintroduction of history in the Schools’ Curriculum in Anambra.

Uzodimma had attributed the linkage to him as mischievous and a complete fabrication.

A release was issued accordingly from my office to put the records straight as was published in the sourceng.com (26) on August 9, 2022.

“The mischief-makers are out to undermine Governor Uzodinma and create mistrust between him and Governor Soludo.

“The report credited to him on Facebook was done by depraved minds who will never see anything good in what someone does, including the suggestion made by Governor Soludo on the reintroduction of history in our schools which he said is long overdue.

“It is only those who do not have anything to contribute to the society that would be against their history. Governor Soludo could not have been wrong in his suggestion that a people’s history is key to their progress and development. Most developed countries of the World do not joke with their history just as the world is replete with the history of great men and women.”

Media practitioners in the country must at all times be objective in their reportage as there can be no alternative to objective dissemination of information.

Every year when the World Press Freedom Day is marked, practitioners are reminded that balance, fairness and objectivity are the hallmarks of media practice – both online and traditional – but that the characteristics above, unfortunately, have been relegated to the background. Falsehood and hearsay are now preferred to truth and have even been elevated to the front burner. How sad!

If the World Press Freedom Day affords practitioners the opportunity to do a critical evaluation of their practice, with a view to correcting anomalies that militate against what the profession requires of them, why do the same practitioners still prefer to travel the lane of false information spread?

Those who blame the huge fake news that stares all of us on the face with the coming of social media may not be getting all the facts rights given that the rule of engagement or practice to the best of my knowledge has not changed.

If the role of the media must remain what it is to the society – dissemination of credible information, education and entertainment – practitioners owe it a duty to ensure that such roles are not substituted with reports that are constantly subjected to doubt by the reading, listening and watching public.

Is it not embarrassing that a noble profession like the media has today become synonymous with the spreading of false information, majority of them from the Internet and it does seem everybody is comfortable with the trend? I may be wrong. Is it not time for a wake-up call for the leaders of the industry to do what is professionally permissible to ensure that the media remain trusted by the public?

Like the Convener and Coordinator Imo Diaspora Support for Governor Hope Uzodimma, Nnanna Okere, stated during Nigeria’s 60th Independence Anniversary in 2020, “Media practitioners in Nigeria must be conscious of fake news, they must be ‘information champions’ that would help in transforming the society by accurately reporting events as they happen.”

Okere, in a story that was published in a popular online newspaper, armadanews.com (27), in October 6, 2020 said: “Distraction is a veritable instrument to run a system down and fake news is a typical example of distraction. Nothing kills a system, nation, organisation, family faster than distractions. If you are distracted whether as an individual, a family, a nation or an organisation you cannot do much. All these developments in Imo against the shared prosperity government of Governor Uzodimma ranging from endless litigations to fake news are all, distractions to bring the government down.

“There is violence, crime, self-centred thoughts and evil desires because humanity has failed in the art of peace and refuse to understand the essence of living together in a society. We need peace among Nigerian ethnic groups for sustainable economic development.

“Nigeria faces economic recession, violence, hunger and political wobbling because the ethnic groups do not have one another’s interest at heart. The best gift Nigeria can give her future generation as we celebrate Independence is the culture of peace. Nigerians need good education, healthcare service, and protection.”

I cannot agree less.

Writing on ‘Speaking Truthfully’ in his book, An Essential Guide to Public Speaking…Serving Your Audience with Faith, Skill & Virtue, Quentin Schultze (28) said: “Speaking truthfully includes honesty. It is one thing to be uncertain and something quite worse to deceive someone knowingly. A lie is a statement intended to deceive, regardless of whether the statement is ultimately true. Honest-talk avoids intentional deception.”

Recognizing the maxim in the media as earlier noted, if you are in doubt, leave out, Schultze insists that: “I don’t know for sure is the truest thing to say when you are uncertain.”

I believe strongly that dialectical logic of back and forth, yes versus no and thesis versus antithesis should also apply when we are sourcing information on the net or elsewhere for a report for public consumption. Going by the dialectic logic, it is either a report is verifiable or unverifiable, right or wrong, true or false, faithful or unfaithful.

Nothing is as exhilarating as reading a report or a book or even coming across an information that is full of positive testimonial by the audience. I will leave us with few instances.

In describing the book – Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity and Poverty, by Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson (29), the Washington Post wrote: “Why Nations Fail is a surprisingly captivating read. This is, in every sense, a big book. Readers will hope that it makes a big difference.”

While Robert Solow, winner of Nobel Laureate prize in Economics in 1987 described Why Nations Fail as a “fascinating and readable book…generate(s) both excitement and reflection, his colleague, Peter Diamond who won the 2010 edition of the Nobel Laureate prize in Economics, has this to say about the book. His words: “Important and insightful book…this is important analysis not to be missed.”

According to the Wall Street Journal Europe, the book is “a splendid piece of scholarship and a showcase of economic rigour.”

For Niall Ferguson the book is “compelling and highly readable,” while Steven Levitt says the book is “brilliant in its simplicity and power.”

The question you should ask yourself as an expert in dishing out stuff from the internet is: what manner of testimonial do you receive from your audience or the reading public? Are they positive? Or negative? Are they complimentary or are they abusive of your “effort?” Does the testimonial hurt the society and the people because they are evil personified?

I agree completely with Ekpa Stanley Ekpa in his article: ‘Writ of the Nigerian Dream’ as published in the book, Remaking Nigeria: Sixty Years, Sixty Voices, edited by Chido Onumah (30).

Ekpa, the Editor- in-Chief of the Code of Conduct Law Report and the Nigerian Corruption Cases Law Report says that: “Our generation must hold itself accountable in building a Nigeria that works for all – North and South, East and West, Christians and Muslims. We must begin the process through practical socio-political engagements in creating a shared social, cultural, economic, and political culture of even, inclusive, and shared solutions to our collective challenges. Such shared culture cannot be achieved through posturing. It would manifest through a shared practice of positive participation and responsibility…. In creating a national identity and orientation for a new Nigeria of 2060, we must focus on how the people, leaders, and institutions work in tandem for value, results, and impact.”

Note the word posturing as Ekpa said. As a blogger and avid user of internet as a source of information what is your posturing like? Is it positive or negative? Is it to destroy Imo State, Nigeria or the society at large for selfish consideration or to recreate an Imo State, Nigeria or society of our dream?

I do not know how many of us have read the book: The Making of the Nigerian Flagship…A Story of The Guardian, edited by two former staff of the medium – Aaron Ukodie and O’seun Ogunseitan (31), with the Forward written by former Governor of Ogun State, Segun Osoba?

Writing is an art. And writers are regarded as serious persons because of the painstaking nature they go about their work. Therefore, whether writing for the purposes of mainstream media publication, online publication, book publication or any other form of publication, the seriousness one attaches to the work which of course includes observing all the rules of engagement, tells much about one’s character. What is your character like as a writer or blogger? Do you possess a character that requires that your testimonial is positively or negatively highlighted?

I will leave us with a quote from the contribution of the Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief of Sun Publishing Limited, publishers of the Sun newspapers stable, Onuoha Ukeh, a former staff of The Guardian in the book in question.

In an article, ‘School of Serious Journalism’ Ukeh wrote: “I remember the first day I started work. The beehive of activities in the newsroom and the seriousness of the various units in the editorial departments struck me and they started shaping my orientation about work culture. I saw that people could be productive in a ‘mad house’. I saw the newsroom as the ‘mad house’ of serious work, a centre of intellectualism and a focal point of documentation of history.”

Like the newsroom, today, the internet serves as that “mad house” Ukeh refers to where serious work ought to go on. It is supposed to be that centre of intellectual activities for reporters, writers and bloggers and a focal point of documentation of history, even if in a hurry. But can we sincerely say that is exactly the purpose the internet is serving us today?

Let me conclude by saying that I appreciate the fact that we are all Nigerians and all our actions and in-actions point to that hard fact – where we are coming from.

The negative and false reports that paint our state, country, government, leaders and our society in bad light are first and foremost orchestrated by Nigerians. The snake, no doubt, must give birth to the snake. Put differently, nobody plants yam and harvests cocoyam. But what we are talking about here transcends mere simplification of issues.

As I return to the topic under examination – Information sourcing through the internet: what to do, my take is that what to do is simple. The skepticism about internet and quality assurance must start with us as users. We must see ourselves as users of the facility as the quality assurance that is badly needed to make the internet dependable and reliable.

Because the internet is synonymous with garbage in and garbage out; input and output, it is what you feed the system with that it gives out in return. Thus, if you buy data to post phoney and false information on the internet be sure it will reproduce the information the way you configured it ab initio.

I think I have spoken enough already about the credibility and integrity of the users of the internet and so, do not think I should bore us with further specifics. However, the question that must concentrate our minds is whether the internet is meant for positive or negative courses.

The global village which McLuhan talked about 58 years ago, to me, provides us with the opportunity to share ideas, thoughts, feelings etc on how to improve on the vagaries of human existence regardless of where they are domiciled across the globe. I do not think the originators of the internet had in mind as objective, people using the facility for societal ills the way we have seen it today.

Those versed in the unlimited benefits of the use of internet log on to Sites that teach them everything they need to know in any field of human endeavour that can help to advance their positive courses. Such persons have no business subscribing to the internet for things that are by-products of perverse beings.

The media have a place in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and that places some burden on the practitioners as purveyors and agents of public trust.  Apart from the executive, the legislature and the judiciary, only the media are recognized statutorily as the fourth estate of the realm.

According to Chapter 2, Section 22 of the Constitution – Obligation of the Mass Media – “The press, the radio, television, and other agencies of the mass media shall at all times be free to uphold the fundamental objectives contained in this chapter and uphold the responsibility of the Government to the people.”

While the media watch the activities of those in government for the interest of the society, they are in turn watched by the same society that has trusted them so much by way of ensuring that credible information that would make them repose their confidence in the media is not subjected to unnecessary scrutiny and doubt.

I recognize the fact that most media practitioners – main stream and online – are struggling to survive in an environment where  publishers and managers may have compromised in several areas because of their personal political, economic, social, religious, cultural and other biases, so much that the ethics and code of conduct of the profession have become suspect.

While most publishers and their ilk struggle to pay salaries of their workers, they inadvertently subject such workers to ways and means of eking out a living. This, no doubt, waters the ground for their personnel who seek for opportunities to fall into the hands of those who want to make a capital of fake and unfounded news. A worker, they say, deserves his pay.

The Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), the Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN) as well as Independent Publishers organizations must do a proper introspection about how the rain started beating them as media practitioners, including making conscious efforts to ensure that the welfare of their personnel, even if it means only their salary, is given priority attention.

Internal mechanisms that would strengthen the operational ethics of the profession will also not be a bad idea since the damage done to one can be collateral. The time to activate their Ombudsman is now.

Lest I forget, the Family, the Church, the Communities, the Schools, the Youths, the Women groups, the Civil Society Organisations, in fact, everybody, has got a role to play in ensuring that the internet is subjected to proper use if we do not want to share in the blame for its use for wrong reasons.

At the risk of sounding immodest, most families have abdicated their core responsibility of proper upbringing of our wards today, leaving them at the mercy of gadgets connected to the internet as their mentors. Morality is no longer a virtue that determines how properly trained a child is by the family, assisted by the Community, Schools and the Church.

Parents, including our teachers, Community and Spiritual leaders stand akimbo watching our wards do all sorts of things with and through the internet in the name of civilization or what some people term currents of development as if civilization and development are synonymous with immorality and unbecoming demeanour.

For how long can we as parents allow our wards blackmail us with the notion that theirs is a jet/electronic age while ours was an analog age, simply because they want to get away with activities that could turn out to hurt their future?

The truth is that the feeling of consternation that some people have over the abuse of internet use has much to do with the good things they would have done with the same facility if they are not on the lane of self distrust. But God forbid that this should be their portion.

Nonetheless, if we all agree that false information dissemination or fake news or even abuse of internet use as it were is a taboo and disservice to our society, a discredit to the image and person of the purveyors, a crime to the state and a sin against God, is it not high time those doing so did a detour in their own overall interest?  For me, I am conscious of how posterity will record me about my work. The question is, are you?

Thank you for your attention and God bless.