By Bala Ibrahim.
Whether or not we like it, NASENI, which is the acronym for the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure, and that which serves as the only on-purpose built intervention agency of the Federal Government of Nigeria, is actively acting according to the terms of its establishment. In fact, at the risk of being too promotional, I would call it the shinning ship of the Tinubu administration. Many agencies are working, working very well, but under Khalil Suleiman Halil, NASENI is performing wonders in the Engineering architecture of Nigeria.
In politics, particularly the type of politics played in Nigeria, when people can not hit the man at the top, or find it difficult to fault the overall performance of a system, they target the vulnerable, or easily assessable individuals. Traditionally, individuals with track records of performance, who standout as the shinning symbol of the system, are the low hanging fruits of such campaign of calumny. They often fall victims of unfair blame, because the real target or issues can not be reached. It is in the pursuit of such mischief, that Khalil Halilu of NASENI, is being scapegoated, because, I think, the traducer can not easily get at Khalil’s principal, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
I read somewhere in Sahara reporters, an on-line medium that has become notorious for the publication of unsubstantiated stories that almost always, turn out to be controversial and largely false, a story about the Executive Vice Chairman of NASENI, Khalil Halilu, accusing him of refusing to pay the salary of a staff of the agency, for about seven months. In the report, which is unbalanced, Khalil was accused of some corrupt practices, in his capacity as the head of the agency. The story reads:
“A staff member of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), identified simply as Isah, has accused the Executive Vice Chairman (EVC), Khalil Suleiman Halilu, of withholding his salary for seven months. He also mentioned that the EVC denied him training allowances, and coerced him to sign an undertaking barring him from appearing on television to discuss national issues. Isah, in documents and testimonies made available to SaharaReporters, also alleged deep-rooted political interference and corruption within NASENI under Halilu’s leadership.”
As a journalist, after reading the story, and having seen the evident hands of a Judas therein, I quickly called Khalil to find out his own side of the story. His phone rang un-end, without response. So, I moved over to Omoyele Sowore, the publisher of Sahara reporters. His phones also rang un-end, without response, including his number in New York city, USA. One of the allegations against Khalil is political, and Sowore is a Nigerian politician, that doubles as a journalist and Human rights activist.
By training, journalists are expected to be extremely ethical, because the job is aimed at building public trust by ensuring credible, unbiased reporting always. Journalism ethics center on core principles like seeking truth and reporting it, emphasizing accuracy, fairness, and objectivity, while minimizing harm, and maintaining independence and accountability to the public. Before publishing, journalists are expected to verify facts and avoid bias, including political bias.
Having tried both sides without luck, I visited the Facebook, where the story is trending, and evidently, objectively discussed. From the public comments, Kalil Halil has come out clinically cleaned. There are many comments, but here is one, and its unedited:
“CAPITAL LIE!. However, one thing that remains clear is Khalil Suleiman Halilu’s track record at NASENI. His leadership has consistently promoted peace, innovation, staff welfare, and institutional progress. Under his watch, NASENI has taken bold steps in digital transformation, transparency, and staff empowerment . NASENI needs stability and focus, and Halilu’s leadership continues to provide that direction for a better, innovation-driven Nigeria in line with the renewed hope agenda of president Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Keep up with the good work KSH”.
We all know that, since his failed attempt to be the President of Nigeria, Sowore has resorted to grandstanding, by using every opportunity to slam the Presidency, and President Tinubu. I know Sowore would read my post, but I want him to be mindful of the fact that, as journalists, we have a social contract with the people, not only to be factual, but be apolitical, as members of the fourth realm of the estate. It is not in the scheme of our duty to be grandstanding, in order to score cheap political credit. Neither are we suppose to engage in “scapegoatism”, because it amounts to harming others, and transferring our personal frustrations and failures, to the vulnerable.
