Media entrepreneur Dele Momodu has made a “passionate appeal” to Nigerians on the importance of treating media practitioners as businesspeople with bills to pay, not a group of persons doing charity.
In an Instagram post on Monday, the Ovation Media Group chairman bemoaned the lack of respect given to journalists and their craft.
“Once again, I’m compelled to write a letter to my fellow Nigerians. This time, I wish to plead with those who see the media as a work of charity,” he wrote.
“Almost on daily basis, I receive invitation cards from friends asking us to cover birthdays, weddings, business launch, funerals, housewarming, and other such lavish events. We all love to show off the grace of GOD in our lives, which was the main reason we set up Ovation International magazine in 1996.
“Such events gulp thousands of USD. Their budgets include events planning, venues, food & beverage, lights & sound, comperes, artists, photography/videography, hotels, engineers, fabrics & fashion designers, makeup, security, car hires, jewelry & accessories, etc. The only aspect they often forget in the huge budget is the most important, MEDIA. They treat Media as the “lamb of GOD who takes away the sins of the world…” This is most unfortunate.”
Momodu said journalists in Nigeria do not take their work as business and as such they are forced to publish negative stories in order to attract attention and patronage.
He noted that most people hardly remember to show appreciation when a journalist writes positive stories but the journalist’s phones will start buzzing within minutes of publishing negative stories.
The 64-year-old added, “My appeal is that every event must include media budget. We have huge bills to pay; salaries, flights, road transportation, expensive cameras and gadgets, production, food & accommodations, risks to lives & properties, and so on. It is most unfair to pay for all services and refuse to pay ours.”
Momodu listed a number of persons who have been benevolent towards the media to include chairman of Globacom, Mike Adenuga; chairman of Transcorp, Tony Elumelu; Premier Lotto founder, Kessington Adebutu; BUA group chairman, Abdulsamad Rabiu; chairman of FBN Holdings, Femi Otedola; chairman of Access Holdings, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede; chairman of Coscharis Group, Cosmas Maduka; businesswoman Bola Shagaya; chairman of Eleganza Group Abdulrasak Okoya and wife Folashade Okoya, and SIFAX Group CEO and founder, Taiwo Afolabi among others.
Earlier this year, Momodu made a public appeal to people asking him for financial aid. He said he was a “man of modest means” and that he was sorry he could not meet all needs.
