Re: “Bidding Farewell to Freelancing: Hello NEXTER! An Open Letter to Aisha Wakaso”
A disclaimer from NEXTER MEDIA LTD
Our attention was drawn to a malicious article on an online platform titled: “Bidding Farewell to Freelancing: Hello NEXTER! An Open Letter to Aisha Wakaso”.
Authored by one Fodio Ahmed, the jaundiced write up was used to settle personal scores with Aisha Wakaso, the Special Adviser to Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago on Print Media.
We would have simply dismissed this article as jejune and incoherent if the author hadn’t attempted to legitimize it by impersonating as a new NEXTER staff member. Curiously, this impostor had gone to the extent of plagiarizing some phrases in our mission and vision statement (without attribution), to launch his personal attack on the media aide to the Governor.
The writer’s attempt to bid farewell to freelancing under the false claim of being offered employment with NEXTER, and at the same time using the same write up to settle personal scores with the SA exposed him as someone who may have been involved in professional misconduct and vindictiveness.
We dare say to Fodio: “As you bid ‘farewell to freelancing’, you may have to look elsewhere because NEXTER cannot be your NEXT port of call for blackmail journalism as we have no vacancy for your like…!
Accordingly, we must correct this falsehood: Fodio Ahmed has not and will not be employed by NEXTER Media Ltd. If he so claims, we challenge him to produce his employment letter/ Identity Card. We maintain a zero-tolerance policy for professional misconduct and cannot engage anyone on a voyage of vindictive journalism.
As an investigative media organization, NEXTER upholds the principles of fairness, balance, and equity in our reporting. We operate within the confines of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) constitution and the Journalism Code of Conduct. This is in sync with our professional mission to promote truth-telling and hold those in power accountable.
We, therefore, distance ourselves from Fodio Ahmed’s postulations and advise him to refrain from impersonating as our employee using NEXTER’s name to further his personal agendas.
Additionally, we clarify that NEXTER is a national newspaper with a focus on the North Central states of Nigeria, not limited to Niger State, even though our corporate office is in Minna.
As a fledging investigative media outfit, NEXTER will never associate with irresponsible journalism or jaundiced reporting aimed at destroying the reputation of individuals in public and private sectors as evident in Fodio’s puerile article.
At NEXTER, we’re driven by a shared passion for truth-telling and a commitment to holding those in power to account. However, in doing this we shall remain within the boundaries of professional ethics and are averse to smear and blackmail approach as exemplified by Fodio.
We, therefore, distance NEXTER from the dim witted postulations of the said Fidio Ahmed and advise him to keep his boundaries and look elsewhere for his aberrant proclivity for junk journalism.
We will not hesitate to take necessary actions, including legal, should he continue to parade himself as an employee of NEXTER.
We assure the public of our commitment to responsible journalism and will continue to uphold the highest standards of integrity and professionalism.
SIGNED:
Mac- Gbihi Tyo
Editor-in-Chief