Activist to Journalists: Return to Independence, Investigative, Unbiased Reporting
- Comrade Ibrahim Garba Wala urged Nigerian journalists to revive investigative journalism as a tool to combat bad governance
- He accused political leaders and clergy of forming an alliance that undermines democracy and harms ordinary Nigerians
- Wala warned that media outlets risk betraying public trust when they succumb to political and commercial pressures
Political activist and Lead Advocate of The Handshake Movement, Comrade Ibrahim Garba Wala, has charged Nigerian journalists to revive investigative journalism as a tool for accountability and reform.
In an open letter released on Tuesday in Abuja, Wala maintained that the strength of the media lies in its ability to inform, interrogate and inspire change. He warned that when journalists abandon these duties, the foundations of democracy are weakened.
Source: Original
Call for investigative journalism
Wala, who recently became a member of the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC), said journalists must “break the silence and hold those in power accountable, regardless of their political or religious affiliation.”
He accused the clergy and political elite of forming a “two-headed monster” whose cooperation is harming Nigerian society.
Clergy and politicians accused of alliance
He explained that this “romance” between the pulpit and the political class demands rigorous exposure by the press.
According to him, uncovering the sources of their influence and wealth is crucial to protect ordinary Nigerians from the impact of this alliance.
“It’s clear that the media’s sacred duty is under threat. We are witnessing a troubling romance between politicians and clergies, a public display of collaboration that goes largely unchallenged.
This alliance often comes at the expense of the common people, the Third Estate, who are left to bear the brunt of their combined actions,” he stated.
Wala argued that silence or complicity by the press has created fertile ground for insecurity to flourish. Communities, he noted, are paying the price while citizens live under constant fear.
He faulted media platforms that have become outlets for propaganda instead of instruments of accountability.
Media ownership and public trust
He cautioned against treating journalism purely as a business venture. According to him, yielding to political and commercial pressures risks converting the profession into what he described as a “puppet show.”
“Journalism is a public service, not a mere profit-making venture. While we understand the economic realities you face, succumbing to commercial and political pressures turns a noble profession into a puppet show. When media outlets are owned and controlled by the very people they are meant to scrutinize, the watchdog becomes a pet, loyal only to its master. This is a betrayal of the trust the public places in you,” he wrote.
Wala called on journalists to reclaim their independence and restore confidence in the media as a defender of public interest, insisting that the survival of Nigeria’s democracy depends on it.
Why it's impossible for Kwankwaso to join APC
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Buba Galadima, a prominent member of the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP), had dismissed the possibility of former presidential candidate Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso working with the All Progressives Congress (APC), citing the ongoing tussle over the Kano Emirate.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, Galadima faulted the federal government for what he described as a deliberate attempt to create parallel leadership within the traditional institution.
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Source: Legit.ng
