Igwe Jerome Ezeneche, Thailand – – One of the cardinal principles of journalism is fair and investigative reporting. It goes to the root of the ethics of the profession and it is very essential because the fourth estate of the realm holds the key to how the society perceives and reacts to news. Unfortunately, the era of blogging introduced a dangerous dimension to news reportage. Some bloggers (NOT GBETU TV) engage in bad practices, elevating sensationalism over quality investigation, throwing people’s integrity under the bus just so they can amass clicks and likes.

Recently, news was awash in the media about a Nigerian who was arrested in Thailand over love scam which involved about 2.6 billion naira. Instead of Nigerian journalists and bloggers to do a proper investigative journalism and hear from all sides with a view to finding out the truth, they indulged in sensational reporting without facts. Chief among the bloggers who sensationalized Igwe Jerome Ezeneche’s ordeal was the popular blogger, Linda Ikeji, who even at her level in the media has not thought it wise to up her game and inculcate the tenets of best practices required in her kind of business to make it a more enduring platform. Apparently, she is still living for the moment, for traffics, shallow comments and fleeting buzz. It is the only way we can explain why she threw caution to the wind and in the process maligned and tarnished the image of a respected Igbo man doing legitimate business in Thailand. This write up serves as a an admonition to bloggers and journalists to stay true to the demands of their calling, toeing the line of investigation and hearing the other side for balanced reportage. It is a sacred duty they owe the society.

Even though Igwe Jerome Ezeneche was arrested, arrest does not amount to conviction anywhere in the world. For the records, Ezeneche is one of the most respected Nigerian in the diaspora and has been in Thailand for over 12 years doing legitimate businesses and contributing to his host country through prompt payment of taxes and social responsibility.

He is the founder of TEN TEN restaurant, the first and biggest African restaurant in Thailand and the entire Asia. He is also the first Nigerian licensed BDC operator in Thailand. Apart from being a businessman, he is one of the most philanthropic Nigerians in Thailand and part of his numerous roles is his prison ministry in Thailand which enables him visits our brothers in prison with the aim of assisting them financially and providing legal aids to them. Ezeneche also ensures that wards of Nigerians whose fathers were deported or are in prison are well taken care of.

Again, from Thailand, he still offers financial assistance to deported Nigerians so they can establish businesses to begin a new life. The beneficiaries of Ezeneche’s philanthropy are not only Africans as he extends his large heart and hands even to the Thai and people of other races.

It is instructive to note that just like most societies with working systems, being wealthy to a certain threshold attracts investigation by the authorities. It is a regular feature, meant to keep the society sane and check illegal enrichment. The investigation becomes more intense when the wealthy person is a foreigner, especially an African. Regardless of how we mouth equality, there are sometimes traces of racism and stereotyping in some of these investigations. They are hard facts and bitter truths that are better confronted than wished away. This background explains what led to the arrest of Chief Ezeneche.

The recent unfortunate arrest of Ezeneche has all the trappings of premeditated humiliation, harassment, embarrassment and defamation, and that is why he has sworn to press for damages against these rogues in uniform, masquerading as law enforcement agents. It is clearly a case of witch-hunting. Not one thing was found on him and here is a man who has never had any criminal case anywhere in the world even though he is well travelled. Ezeneche is bent on putting these officers that are battering the image of the Thai police where they belong. This unnecessary and unwarranted embarrassment is an insult to Africa’s most successful businessman in Thailand and even to Africa as a continent.

For him, it is foolhardy for a person of his status who has been involved in so many legitimate and viable businesses to entangle himself with illegalities which may lead to tearing down the reputation and the goodwill he has labored so hard to build over the years. This is a man who is into mining, a reference point in bakery materials with a known franchise, an international restaurateur who has travelled almost all the countries of the world, a licensed BDC operator and the first Nigerian in Thailand to be licensed in that business. What really will he achieve with fraud? When this issue of his business integrity came up, even though he was outside the country, he hurriedly travelled back to present himself and clear his name, putting paid to doubts about his transactions. No criminal will willingly submit himself to authorities of a stringent country like Thailand when declared wanted for questioning. Only the guilty are afraid.

The likes of Linda Ikeji should do well to inform and not misinform their readers. They should also learn the art of follow up on their news reportage. That is the hallmark of excellent journalism. When they report that Chief Ezeneche was arrested, they should also report the result of the investigations and his release, with apologies. Chief Ezeneche was released almost immediately after his arrest. It is sad that the overzealous bloggers didn’t capture that. For them, it is not news. It matters not to them that they are playing Russian roulette with people’s reputation without any care in the world. Truth is, nothing incriminating or evidence has been found that is suggestive that Ezeneche has done anything wrong in his business transactions. This is only a case of overzealous policemen who wants to shine with the arrest of an African ‘big boy’ even on fake charges just to score cheap points, and it has sprinkles of racism.

Chinedum Okafor, writes from Anambra.