Popular Ibadan-based radio station, Splash 105.5 FM, has held its 7th Anniversary Public Lecture as part of activities to celebrate the 75th birthday of its founder and Ekefa Olubadan of Ibadanland, Chief Adebayo Akande.

In a lecture delivered by Dr. Tony Marinho, Secretary, Educare Trust, entitled ‘The Error in Terror: Corruption and Our Children,’ he stated that terror, which is all around us, comes in many forms, but we must learn how to counter it by pointing out the error. He said that terror causes long-term problems and ruins everything and everyone, even strangers.

Dr. Marinho, noted that political terror and corruption in Nigeria are man-made tsunami deliberately drowning Nigerian children and teeming youths, adding that Nigeria needs a rallying call against political terror and corruption at checkpoints, and at elections.

He said that the error in terror is made manifest by the fact that even after 50 years of what we consider maximum terror and corruption by the political class, we the people have been battered, bruised, humiliated and broken. “A country which fails its children through political hyper-salaries and massive stealing from the budget fails the test of civilisation.”

He charged the media on the need for objectivity and ethical conduct as demanded by the profession, stressing that the media - both print and electronic - must not sell its soul for money or internally generated revenue (IGR). "The media is too powerful and influential to see everything from the money-making perspective and neglect its duty in an ignorant country; to sell its dignity to highest bidder.”

Earlier in his introductory remarks at the double event held recently at Trenchard Hall, University of Ibadan, the celebrant, Chief Akande, had submitted: “The error in terrorism is that human beings are not born to live in terror and fear but in love, peace and justice. Goodness lasts forever, terror never. And, eventually, those to perpetrating terror say it is for our own good. I strongly believe terror has no cause except greed beyond human needs, in order to acquire the material and mental necessities of others, their properties, persons, and their votes.”

•Photo shows wife of the celebrant, Chief (Mrs.) Onikepo Akande; Professor Francis Egbokhare; Chief Bayo Oyero, President of the Central Council of the Ibadan Indigenes (CCII); Prof. Emeritus Ayo Banjo, former Vice-Chancellor of University of Ibadan, during the cutting of the cake.

Update news