I want to begin this piece of advisory to Dele Elempe with one of the last quotes by American rights activists, Martin Luther King Jr. that, “Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness.”
The quote is a poignant reminder that each individual, no matter how highly or lowly placed, must make a crucial choice in life-to stand tall and walk the path of honour and dignity, playing their expected societal roles without blemish or being swayed by self-serving motives that lead to only destructive ends, in which case, Elempe has unfortunately chosen the latter over the former.
I am providing this advisory with the assumption that Dele Elempe still possesses residual dignity and self-respect, which can be preserved and saved if he makes last-minute changes and tows the path of honour and integrity rather than continuing in his unethical path of spreading lies and falsehoods in pursuit of favor and crumbs from the table of politicians.
How does society take someone whose only job is to cobble together inconsistent sentences, spilling hogwash and advertising his jaundiced reasoning in a bid to by any slightest chance get access into the pockets of politicians?
Elempe must break away from the allure of easy money and instant gratification to find a decent-paying job so he can have ample time for productive work and not scheming with agents of underdevelopment who in their selfish interests and desperation are hellbent on undermining efforts by the performing government of Governor Godwin Obaseki to transform the State and place it on the path of economic prosperity.
To be fair to him, Elempe managed to secure a fairly decent education but has not taken his altruism beyond that point to look for a decent job from where he will earn an honest living.
What he does is rely on his passable use of the English Language to serve political gladiators who are willing to path with some money in exchange of an unpatriotic attack against the governor or any other person which they consider a hindrance to gaining unfettered access to the people’s purse in their selfish quest to satisfy their appetite for opulence.
I do not think that is an honourable way for someone who in all honesty has some level of education. Instead of pretending to be a journalist, why can’t Elempe actually be a journalist by going to get a job in a newspaper, radio or television station and earning an honest living rather than depending on handouts or crumbs from politicians as his only means of livelihood?
Luckily for him, the governor has undertaken holistic reforms across the State’s media assets, including the Nigerian Observer and the Edo Broadcasting Service (EBS), transforming them to world-class standards. These organizations present a platform where genuine journalists can thrive and uphold the values of truth, objectivity, and ethical reporting. Elempe should consider taking a leap of faith and submitting his applications to these media institutions if he thinks he has the qualification and expertise to be a media professional. This can provide Elempe a fine opportunity for an honest means of livelihood rather than hobnobbing with politicians for crumbs and staging laughable public relations (PR) stunts to shoulder his masculine responsibilities.
Dele Elempe should take a shot at grabbing his destiny with his own hands and actually making real provisions for himself and his family. I don’t think that being a pen for hire against a performing governor whose achievements across all sectors of the State’s economy have continued to gain global recognition, is a sustainable way for a family man to meet family expectations.
I will end this piece by reminding Dele Elempe that dignity and self-respect, like a fragile flame, can be extinguished when one compromises their values for short-term gains. I urge Dele Elempe to embark on a journey of rediscovery, where self-respect is no longer a distant memory but a guiding light illuminating the way forward for him. He must distance himself from writing for quick financial gains from politicians and embrace the nobility that comes with true journalism to save his residual self-respect and dignity.
*_Nwachukwu, a Public Affairs Commentator writes from Benin City_*
