Some of our journalists ‘of today’ are a bunch of embarrassment – especially so-called entertainment journalists. Take the case of this ongoing roforofo in the fold of Association of Movie Producers, AMP. On Saturday, August 29, 2020, they elected Peace Anyiam-Osigwe in Asaba in the morning – by noon, another president, called Myke Parish Ajaere, chaperoned by my friend, Mike Nliam, arose in Lagos. Both sides have been splitting hairs – and smashing allegations on each other.
Now, enter the BoT (board of trustees). This contraption has been wagging some outrageous influence in the AMP since the time of Amaka Igwe and Eddie Ugboma… It is now run by two men, after the demise of the two big guns mentioned earlier… Kenneth Nnebue, the fourth member had supposedly resigned years ago… Sola (?) moved abroad into inaction… So, we’re left with the bubbly Zeb Ejiro and my good old friend, Joe Dudun.
How the duo has been able to harangue and shuffle through the years, managing a 6-man ship through fire and brimstone…is another wonder of the ages. I suspect, even without glancing at the rules and protocols of AMP, that such a situation is ab initio unhealthy and irresponsible – truth be told. But, I digress…
To the source of my embarrassment: that same BoT woke up few days ago, and decided that they could no longer stomach the excesses and irregularities arising from the double elections, after efforts to reconcile the warring parties… and this is without prejudice to the alleged inelegant moves of the “BOT” before, during and after the elections … and that they have annulled the election (remember Maradona!)
Of course, the media splashed the stories – new and traditional. Ok, if the small ones (social media/bloggers) don’t have the know-how…what about dyed-in-the-wool professionals in mainstream media? Why join in the click frenzy like street urchins fed on prodigal crumbs.
They all scampered to “break” the news! No one, I hope I’m wrong, paused to query if the BoT’s action was grounded in any solid authority or self-governing rules. You could accuse Maradona of being wrong-headed to annul June 12, 1993 election; you could not find fault, arguably, with his legitimacy.
This action by the Zeb-Joe diarchy… what law or protocol within the matrix of AMP operations empowered them to up-turn an election by 13 state councils… Just two men!?
If, as a journalist, you paused to ask any of the gentlemen the enabling source of their diktat..(before publishing the so-called annulment) arise to be celebrated!