KEFAS’ AIDE FAULTS NEWS CENTRAL REPORT ON TARABA HEALTHCARE, DEMANDS BALANCED COVERAGE
- Says presenters relied on unverified, isolated health facility report
- Accuses network of failing to seek government’s response
- Says one facility cannot represent entire Taraba health sector
- Invites News Central to Taraba for first-hand assessment
The Special Adviser on Media to Taraba State Governor, Emmanuel Bello, has criticised a report and subsequent commentary by the News Central morning crew on healthcare delivery in Taraba State, describing the coverage as unprofessional, one-sided and lacking adequate verification.
Bello, in a statement reacting to the programme, accused the television network of using an alleged situation at a healthcare facility in Jibu to draw wider conclusions about healthcare delivery in the state without adequately establishing the facts or seeking the position of relevant authorities.
He expressed concern over what he described as a growing tendency among television networks to imitate the highly charged style of morning television programmes without corresponding attention to research, analysis and professional standards.
According to him, television presenters should not substitute strong opinions and criticism for proper investigation, verification and balanced reporting.
Bello said the News Central presenters appeared not to have sufficiently researched the subject before going on air, pointing to what he described as a factual error concerning the leadership of Wukari Local Government Area.
He said one of the presenters referred to Samaila Dauda as Chairman of Wukari Local Government Council, whereas Bala Useni currently occupies the position.
Bello argued that the error raised questions about the depth of background checks carried out before the discussion.
He also faulted the network for allegedly relying on information circulating on social media without deploying a reporter to Taraba State to independently establish the situation at the health facility.
According to him, the station should also have contacted relevant government officials and health authorities to authenticate the claims and provide their side of the story before making wider assessments of healthcare delivery in the state.
Bello maintained that highlighting the condition of one healthcare facility without putting it within the broader context of healthcare services and infrastructure across Taraba could create a misleading impression.
While acknowledging that not every health institution in the state may have attained the desired standard, the governor’s media aide said an isolated case should not be presented as representative of the entire healthcare system.
He cited developments at the Taraba State Specialist Hospital in Jalingo, Ussa General Hospital and Bali General Hospital, as well as the deployment of mobile hospitals, as examples of interventions which he said should also have formed part of a comprehensive assessment of the sector.
Bello further claimed that improvements in healthcare services were increasingly positioning Taraba as a destination for people seeking medical services.
He therefore challenged News Central to visit Taraba State and conduct an independent, comprehensive assessment of healthcare facilities rather than relying on what he described as an isolated situation.
“News Central should, therefore, do better and visit Taraba to get the whole picture and not just one isolated situation as the story of Medicare in Taraba,” Bello said.
He stressed that such an approach would not only provide the public with a more complete picture but also uphold the fundamental journalistic principles of fairness, verification and balanced reporting.
Bello serves as Special Adviser on Media to Governor Agbu Kefas of Taraba State.
