EFCC does not witch hunt anybody –Lamorde

By Juliana Francis
Just when some Nigerians were beginning to think that the fire of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in the fight against corruption was beginning to wane, the commission came up with a symbolic workshop for journalists covering the beat.
The workshop was a subtle statement by the commission, to Nigerians, that even though it is now 10 year old, it was just about to launch a new strategy in the anti-corruption crusade. This latest methodology will need the synergy of everyone, especially the media and judiciary.
The one-day workshop, tagged: The EFCC’s Workshop on Reporting Economic Crimes,’ was held in Ikeja, Lagos State.
Welcoming the facilitators and participants, Chairman of EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, represented by EFCC Director of Operations, Mr.Olaolu Adegbite said that the decision of the Commission to sponsor the workshop underscored the importance which the commission attached to the role of the media in the fight against corruption and economic crimes.
He added: “Without a doubt, the media is a critical stakeholder in the anti-graft war. With your pen, you could make or mar the fight against economic crimes and corruption. The media’s potential to inform and educate the people is crucial for us. We believe that on our own, we cannot win the war against corruption without a buy in by the people. This is where the support of the media comes in. We need the media to help sensitise the people on the ills of corruption and economic crimes.”
According to him, so far, the commission had enjoyed a robust coverage by members of the fourth estate of the realm, to the extent that the commission had become the envy of other government agencies.
But like every human being, Lamorde has one or two complaints against the media and these complaints were not long in coming.
“Nevertheless, there are issues in the media profiling of the EFCC that is less than desirable. The notion that only those who have fallen out of favour with the powers that be, are touched by the EFCC and that the EFCC has gone to sleep, are unfortunately the creation of the media,” said Lamorde. “Even in the midst of contrary existence, a section of the press have been so swayed this stereotype that they are unwilling to shift their gaze.”
He described the obstinate attitude of not shifting ground as sad, adding that corruption threatens all sectors, including the media. He added: “I expect the media to lend its investigative skills to helping the EFCC fight corruption and not allow it to be sucked in by the corrupt and become a pawn in their hands, to undermine the commission.”
The media must exercise constitutional mandate as the fourth estate of the realm with the highest sense of responsibility, said Lamorde.
“Issues about corruption and economic crimes are sensitive and there is need for journalists to always verify facts before publication. This is why the workshop is timely,” stated the EFCC boss.
Presenting a paper on ‘Financial and Economic Crimes Reporting: Separating facts from fiction,’ Mr. Martins Oloja, Guardian Editor said a journalist’s obligation is truth, loyalty to the citizens, verification of facts, maintenance of an independence from those they cover, serve as an independent monitor of power, provide a forum for public criticism and compromise, make the significant interesting and relevant, keep the news comprehensive and proportional, among others.
Oloja urged journalists to try as much as possible to write facts, than fiction, stressing that the best way to write facts was to be close to the action.
Oloja said: “It’s essential to know who is providing the information you want to check for reliability. That’s because humans are incapable of objectivity. Even journalists suffer from biases-conscious and unconscious, arising from their gender, generation, geography, race and class. As Nelson Mandela has observed, ‘where you stand depend on where you sit.’ Bias begins with self interest. We may think of ourselves as honest as a nun in a confessional booth. But we are all self-interested information providers. For instance when a cop asks how fast you were going, do you confess or provide a discounted estimate?”
Suggesting that journalists should embrace investigative journalism, Oloja added that “Well investigated stories can take you to the utmost parts of the earth. Your investigative stories can bring you big money through autographing of good books that can arise from the consequences.”
Mr. Simon Kolawole, former Editor THISDAY, spoke on ‘Stereotypes and Economic Crimes Reporting.’ He argued that stereotyping influences the way journalists report and write, urging that journalists should avoid stereotyping, especially of politicians in their reports. According to him, just because someone had been accused of a financial crime, does not mean the person is guilty, except the courts say so. Thus journalists should be broadminded while reporting financial crimes.
The group managing director, Leadership Newspaper, Mr. Azubuike Ishiekwene, while presenting a paper on ‘Ethical Journalism and Reporting Economic and Financial Crimes: Realities, challenges and ideal’ said journalism guided by some sets of rules or principles. These include the principles of public truthfulness, fairness, accuracy, objectivity, impartiality and public accountability.
He added: “Most economic and financial crimes reports in the media nowadays are usually based on press statement released to them by the EFCC. However, I hasten to observe that this means of sourcing economic crime stories poses ethical dilemma to the media, given that the EFCC is invariably the prosecuting authourity in the very financial crimes stories it reports in those well crafted press releases. There are those who argue, quite on sound grounds, that the EFCC bring a party to the graft trials, ought not to report such court proceedings in press statements for fear of bias and railroading the media into publishing or broadcasting court sessions favourable only to the anti-corruption agency. The jury is still out there on this controversy and it remains a challenge of the credibility hue for the Nigerian media as we report economic and financial crimes in the country.”
Another speaker, Mr. Dapo Olorunyomi, Editor-in-Chief Premium Times, an online publication, presented a paper on ‘New tools in Economic and Financial Crimes Reporting.’ He said that journalists are supposed to hold government to ransom, adding that the FOI should be maximally being put into use by journalists.
According to him, the work of the media is essentially to light the path for the people and at the end of the day, the light will shine and show the path. He noted that in present day reporting, journalists should begin to look at the magnitude and awesomeness of the new media (internet), embrace and work with it. He opined that the new media was slowly edging out the old media.