BBN Rico: We condemn “Gutter Journalism” attacks on the nursing profession

We have been following recent developments around the death of a Lawyer, Former housemate of Big Brother Naija (BBN season 3), Patrick Fakoya aka Rico Swavey by media.

We use this moment to commiserate with the friends and family of Patrick Fakoya, we are extremely saddened by your family’s loss, and our warmest sympathies go out to you and your family. We shall undoubtedly miss the presence of a very lovable and compassionate individual..

We have noticed that gutter journalists who have no principles think they can gate-crash their way to prominence or escape bankruptcy by launching a frontal assault on the generality nurses will not go unnoticed without a strong response.

It should be noted that the nursing profession is the most accountable profession in Nigeria and the world, Nursing Ranked “Most Trusted Profession” for the 20th Consecutive Year.   Nurses are accountable both legally and professionally for their practice, that is, for the decisions they make and the consequences of those decisions.

While we appreciate the media for serving as the glue that holds the poles of society intact, certain things need to be corrected when the media is getting it wrong.

We have come across a few publications online that nurses were the ones that facilitated the death of Patrick Fakoya, aka Rico by media organizations, most of them citing the Punch newspaper, we also noticed that via Google search console tools, that Punch newspaper is the only reputable media organization that has helped in pushing such claims forward.

It is painful that Punch newspaper not only hurriedly prepared insinuations as facts gotten from a circulating video, but that these insinuations were presided and approved over by an editor without proper investigation is the worst thing that has ever happened to investigative journalism media in Nigeria.

We are inclined to believe that Punch Newspaper which was widely cited by other media, is one of those papers whose gate-crash onto the limelight is characterized by unprofessional tendencies not only because of their past publications but given how the story was carried with a slew of deliberate misinformation and wanton insinuations devoid of facts and truths.

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Though we cannot make a verified claim as of now pending the outcome of investigations, we at the Nursing Media Network have made some deductions from the video, which are listed below.

1. Attention was given to Patrick Fakoya, aka Rico as it was obvious from the video.
2. Patrick Fakoya, aka Rico, was in a wheelchair in preparation for motility.
3. The manner in which a bystander was wearing gloves shows that nurses were not the only ones present in that room, Punch was wrong in assuming everyone in there were professional colleagues.
4. No registered or licensed nurse will wear unfitted leather palm slippers and a loose long sleeve while attending to an emergency as seen in the video another confirmation that there were non-professionals in the room.
5. A professional on scrub knowing the implications of making videos forcefully stopped the unknown person from videoing after others have consistently rebuked him/her.
6. No registered or licensed nurse will make a video of a patient without gained consent, and he/she fully knowing the implication will release such a video to the public.

It is our submission therefore that the motivation to publish such gibberish dubbed as a piece from a reputable media organization is geared at not only besmearing the reputation of the nursing profession but to make the nurses guilty of the conscious role they played.

Until these misrepresentations in the media cannot exist, we at the Nursing Media Network will always avail ourselves to provide a rebuttal to the lies pending full and unbiased investigation.

NURSING TV

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