THE  media, as an institution, is one of few organs that have specific functions spelt out for them in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria(as amended). Chapter one, section 22 provides as follows:-

“The press, 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 and accountability of the Government to the people”.

The chapter referred to deals with virtually all operations of government, including “fundamental obligation of the government” to the people.

For the media to carry out this responsibility diligently, it, itself, must and should be accountable to its own ethical standard and practice. The Code of Ethics for Nigeria Journalists says, in Section 2 (ii) among others: “A journalist should refrain from publishing inaccurate and misleading information– -“. Subsection iii adds: “In the course of his duties, a journalist should strive to separate facts from conjecture and comment”.

The Nigerian Broadcasting code (2002) on its own part says: “News stories– – shall be factual, presented accurately and impartially”.

Many impartial observers of our media scene are agreed that while members of the media always impress on the government need to discharge its responsibility to the people, they hardly discharge their own duties to the same people, as they rush to judgement without the basic facts and oftentimes indulge in public trial of public institutions and officials without, in the least, focusing on their own gross inadequacies in the discharge of their own responsibilities, sometimes arrogating to themselves the functions of the courts.

The fact cannot also be denied that some indulge in the infamous brown envelop syndrome also used to slant stories in favour of the giver, contrary to their ethics which says in Section 7 (i) that: “A journalist should neither solicit nor accept bribe, gratification or patronage to suppress or publish information”.

Regrettably, this has become the standard practice among a few journalists, who, no matter how few they are, have earned for the noble profession a very dented image. Members of the public perceive some reports from this angle, as fortunate as it is.

Take, forinstance, the publication in some media regarding the alleged dumping of harmful toxic materials by KRPC, Kaduna, a subsidiary of the NNPC, at Rido, where it was reported that about 700 birds (chickens) and five people died as a consequence of the dump. Almost all the papers that went to town with the story reported from this angle without in the least finding out the truth or otherwise of the incident. Indeed, some reporters even refused or failed to reflect the KRPC version of what actually happened for reasons best known to them. Had they shown professionalism and demonstrated ethical standard in their reportage of the incident, they would have discovered that the story was and is a plant by some interested parties to dent the public image of the company and set it against one of its host communities, Rido, in Chikun Local Government, KadunaState.

The core substance of the report, as earlier noted, was that KEPA dumped toxic waste at Rido leading to the death of five people and 700 birds at a poultry farm owned by a military officer.

Following the report, experts from the Federal Ministry of Environment and the Kaduna State Enviromental Protection Authority, KEPA, took prompt action by personally visiting the alleged dump site and took with them samples for laboratory investigation. After a thorough professional analysis of the samples, KEPA wrote: ”The confirmatory test shows that result obtained are within acceptable limits; therefore, the refuse dump is not harmful to the environment and public health”.

The Kaduna State House of Assembly also looked into the matter through its appropriate Committee on Enviroment, Natural Resources and Solid Minerals headed by Haruna M. A. Inuwa.

It was to ascertain (a) whether waste was dumped and if it was actually toxic and (b) to find out how it affected the community. Some of its findings were as follows:

(a) “The laboratory results, EP/141/Voliii/412 dated 10 July, 2012 and a liquid effluent/ waste analysis results conducted by KRPC, June 2012, both KEPA and KRPC presented laboratory evidence to confirm that the waste dumped at Rido was not toxic so had no health or environmental hazards.

(b) “Biams Intergrated Firm did not present any evidence to support its claim of (700 chiken)” and the alleged death of five persons as a result of the equally alleged toxic waste dump  turned out to be that of one Liberty Monday Madaki and even this “was not supported by any medical evidence”.

The report of the Kaduna State of Assembly actually blamed the contractor for dumping non-toxic waste at sites not designated by KEPA as required by law. What is more, the Village Head of Rido told investigators that no one died as a consequence of the alleged dump.

The company in question, Chinbache Investment (Nig) Ltd, in a letter to KRPC accepted full responsibility for what happened. It says: “We understand and acknowledge the mistake—which caused this unpleasant experience: we are able to see where we went wrong”.

There are some questions here regarding the role of some of the journalists who were invited by the KRPC to visit the dump site but refused to. Why did they so refuse particularly that this would have offered them the opportunity to balance their report?

Interestingly, even the owners of the poultry farm did not cooperate with the KRPC when it sent a team to investigate the claim of 700 dead birds. Worse still, there was no evidence that any single bird was lost at all. What was their role in spreading this false claim?

These questions are vital to understanding some aspects of their reports. Whatever, it is important for media practitioners not to allow themselves to be tempted by one party to a story, in filing their reports.

At all times, they must act as an impartial judge interested only in finding out the facts or otherwise of a matter. Rushing to judgement without availing themselves of the basic facts, in such a matter, does not lend weight to professional practice. False reportage must never be allowed to intrude into the practice of the noble profession of journalism. Indeed, journalism should be a factual history of the moment and not fictional concoction.

Mr.  LAMAH  LAWAN , a commentator on national issues, wrote from Kaduna south, Kaduna State.