Farooq Kperogi: The "Duty to the Truth"
Oyeniyi Bukola Adeyemi
As a concept in journalism, “duty to the truth” describes a moral and ethical obligation, which mandates journalists to seek, uphold, and promote the truth in public discourse, thoughts, actions, and communication. It implies a commitment to honesty, intellectual integrity, and the pursuit of accurate information and understanding.
Individuals who adhere to the principle of "duty to the truth" prioritize honesty and integrity in their interactions with others. They strive to base their beliefs, decisions, and judgments on reliable evidence, logical reasoning, and critical thinking. This duty extends not only to oneself but also to society as a whole, as truth and honesty are crucial for the functioning of democratic institutions and the pursuit of knowledge.
The concept of "duty to the truth" is closely tied to notions such as intellectual honesty, scientific integrity, and journalistic ethics. It acknowledges that truth can be complex, multifaceted, and subject to interpretation, but it emphasizes the importance of seeking an objective understanding of reality to the best of our abilities.
Living up to the duty to the truth requires a commitment to questioning assumptions, engaging in open-minded inquiry, and being willing to revise one's beliefs when confronted with evidence to the contrary. It also involves recognizing and challenging biases, prejudices, and personal motivations that can cloud judgment and impede the pursuit of truth.
On November 28, 2020, Dr Farooq Kperogi, an Associate Professor of Journalism at the Kennesaw State University, stated concerning General Muhammadu Buhari, the then-president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria: “Buhari appears to be dead and replaced by a body double because he is wracked by the ravages of dementia”.
In one fell swoop, the professor claimed that (a) Buhari appeared to have died and
(b) someone or somebody replaced Buhari with a look-alike who was acting as Buhari – the president of Nigeria.
On May 29, 2023, President Muhammadu Buhari not only completed his term but also handed over power to a democratically elected president – Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Contrary to Dr Kperogi’s claims, Buhari was alive and not replaced. He also did not suffer from dementia and there was nobody double who was acting as Buhari.
In an era of misinformation, disinformation, and "fake news," upholding the duty to the truth becomes increasingly crucial. It is not only an individual responsibility but also a collective one, as it helps safeguard the foundations of informed decision-making, public discourse, and a well-functioning society.
To date, I am not aware of any effort by Dr Kperogi to apologize to Nigerians for his falsehood and gross lack of a duty to the truth. Truth, facts, and objectivity, as important virtues, are all embedded in the concept of “duty to the truth”. When will Dr Kperogi heed the call by apologizing to Nigerians for his deliberate falsehood?
Although the call to discharge out ‘duty to the truth” applies to all and sundry, certainly the expectations from the likes of Nnamdi Kanu and his followers who also shared and propagated the lies about Buhari’s dementia, death, replacement, etc. cannot in any way be compared to Dr Kperogi. I am not so much concerned about Kanu and his followers as I am for a professor of journalism who wholly failed to discharge his “duty to the truth”.
In a recent conference convened by Dr Toyin Falola on Kperogi, many also expressed their disappointment with Kperogi’s knack for brazen falsehood, bogus claims, and uncouth and petulant diatribes. Until such a time that Dr Kperogi thought it wise to apologize to Nigerians, it is safe to say that in the case of Dr Kperogi, more emphasis is placed on something else other than the truth.
Overall, the concept of "duty to the truth" reminds us of our ethical obligation to seek and promote the truth, even when it may be inconvenient, uncomfortable, or at odds with our preconceived notions. By upholding this duty, we contribute to the betterment of ourselves and society as a whole.
You can read the full essay at https://nigeriaindepth.com/farooq-kperogi-the-duty-to-the-truth/
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Bukola A. Oyeniyi
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Missouri State University
College of Humanities and Public Affairs
History Department
Room 440, Strong Hall,
901 S. National Avenue
Springfield, MO 65897
Email: oyen...@gmail.com
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Cornelius Hamelberg
"Beauty is truth, truth beauty,—that is all
Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know."
( John Keats : Ode on a Grecian Urn
It’s possible that our perception of the object under the microscope says more about us the beholders, than about him. He after all is made in his own image and the likeness that he would like to present to his people and of course to outsiders….
If only we could be prepared to demonstrate some saintly goodwill, to make concessions and to the maximum extent possible show a corresponding generosity of spirit, then we could accord to Brer Kperogi, his national interest at heart and the very best of intentions not only for Mighty Popo ego-satisfaction but that in the spirit of truly humble and selfless altruism he has been offering his truths, his half truths and his home-baked truths at the altar of self-sacrifice….
I guess that one of his more immediate concerns could be What will English sound like in the year 3023?
Hopefully, any bogus, self-proclaimed prophet or bogus ”professor of Truth “ is free to debate or dispute the merits of such a claim being made by him, knowing full well that verification is easily established by well known criteria , even with the given provisor that one man's meat is another man’s poison, one man’s freedom fighter is another man’s terrorist, and the difference in pronunciation notwithstanding, one man’s guerilla is another man’s gorilla.
“Truth” , including his evanescent version/ servings of truths and his changing opinions as if mired in quicksand, his most cherished truths being viewed through a glass darkly, how does the real Kperogi, freedom fighter, guerilla, meat-eating gorilla, stand up to the onlookers' critical scrutiny?
As my man in Kano pointed out to me in a private communication,” The dude is desperate to be in govt and refuses to partake in the political process. With Kperogi, everything including politics is war ”. That being the case, as we have all been given to understand and to soberly reflect on the truism that “the first casualty of war is the truth”, what else to expect from Kperogi?
Professor of Truth?
Not even A.J.Ayer aspired to such a title! Or, in terms of rigidity, a few notches below Ayer, Harry G. Frankfurt , the author of “ On Bullshit” (2005) and “On Truth” (2006)
What else but to take some comfort in the fact that gone is the era that produced Dele Giwa, the Nigerian government is not gagging anybody, there’s freedom of speech in Nigeria and in cyberspace too, where much of the social media back-biting is being featured.
In Sierra Leone, we had Bankole Timothy ( a family friend) , Patrick Patnelli (the editor of the Daily Mail) also, Raymond Sarif Easmon, Ibrahim Bash Taqi, and Sam Metzger, to name just a few….
So, when it comes to integrity, to name just three, who is Nigeria’s Noam Chomsky? Bob Woodward? Cornel West?
If words can bark like bullets, then about the CIA man,