Recently the Nigerian Guild of Editors held a town hall meeting where speakers provided outlines on how democratic culture can be deepened in Nigeria. The US Ambassador to Nigeria and INEC Chairman, were among the keynote speakers, Olawale Ajimotokan and Folalumi Alaran report
The Nigerian Guild of Editors recently organised a Townhall meeting to build capacity for its members and discuss issues bothering on democracy in the country.
The parley themed: “Agenda Setting for Sustainable Development” had in attendance the US Ambassador to Nigeria, MaryBeth Leonard andINEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu and some critical stakeholders from the media and the civil society groups.
The townhall meeting was the fourth in the series with the first three held in Lagos, Kano and Yola under the NGE and US Embassy capacity building programme for editors.
The Chairman of the Townhall meeting and GMD Daar Communication PLC, Tony Akiotu said the event provided an auspicious opportunity for Nigerian editors to do a thorough examination and assessment of the performance of the media in consolidating Nigeria’s democracy.
He said the public relies on the media to shape the Nigerian democracy and save it from being dented by political rascality and ineptitude, adding that the public reliance reposes huge responsibility on editors to sharpen their agenda setting role.
Sadly, Akiotu admitted some drawbacks and lapses in media agenda setting role informed by polarisation and politicisation of the media that has become negligent in setting the direction in terms of leadership recruitment for Nigeria.
He noted that each media organisation feels rather comfortable in taking positions partly on regional, ethnic and sometimes survival consideration.
In his remarks, the NGE President, Mustapha Isah, said the outcome of the Townhall meeting was expected to serve as an assessment of the performance of the media and suggest ways for improvement.
He said that a free and critical press is essential to the growth and development of democracy adding that the media as a watchdog owes it a duty to monitor government and hold public office holders accountable to the people who elected them.
In her remarks, Ambassador Leonard said the participants at the workshop shared a role and responsibility in promoting transparency and
accountability, inclusivity and equity, rule of law, and fundamental freedoms.
She said the media plays a daily, vital role in reflecting, steering and mobilising public opinion through their reports.
“When you write, publish and broadcast thoughtfully, impartially, and with accuracy, your contribution to democracy is profound. When you uncover evidence that unscrupulous individuals have tried to hide or deny, you empower law enforcement and the judicial system. When you hold politicians to account with well-researched, non-partisan facts, you directly serve the interests of the voting public, and play a vital role in shaping public perceptions about not only
those who currently govern, but also about those who wish to govern in the future,” she said.
However, she expressed the concern of the US government about the decline in global freedom in Africa in the past 15 years, leading to the rise in political authoritarianism, media self-censorship and growing public
mistrust of media.
She noted that one way to restore public confidence in democracy was through free and fair elections. She said: “The eyes of the world will therefore be on Nigeria this year and early next year as you prepare to choose a new president and transition to a new government. We were pleased that last week President Buhari signed Nigeria’s
long-awaited Electoral Act Amendment Bill into law, ensuring adoption of a number of long sought-after reforms to the electoral process, including the
electronic transmission of election results from polling places”.
The US Ambassador also said that trust cannot be nurtured when media
houses continue to play favorites and charge varying rates and when the media accept money from self-interested players or malign actors to publish favorable or unfavorable stories.
On his part, Yakubu, who was represented by the National Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee, INEC, Festus Okoye, described the meeting as timely and germane in the light of the signing into law of the new electoral legal framework and the release of the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2023 general election.
He tasked the media to isolate and analyse the provisions of the electoral act and subsequently treat the entire law as a compound package for the conduct of election in Nigeria.
According to Yakubu, a good knowledge of the law and its provisions will assist in crafting good editorials and holding INEC and the political parties accountable to their implementation.
He also called on themedia to highlight and analyse the causes and possible solutions to the security challenges in the country and continue to hold government accountable.
He said security agencies must also try as much as possible to degrade if not neutralise the security threats and challenges in different parts of the country given that voting and the exercise of democratic mandate may not be the priority of persons enveloped in a climate and atmosphere of fear and anxiety.
While conceding that the greater use of technology in the electoral process will to a large extent reduce human interference in the voting, counting and collation process, the commission said it was conscious of the fact that technology does not operate itself and that the human element is ever present.
He said INEC will continue to learn from issues and challenges that arise from the deployment of technology and will continue to innovate and improve on them.
“Media managers and editors have a huge role to play in the 2023 general election. The first challenge is to get media to understand the new issues and provisions in the constitutive electoral legal framework. There are fundamental and progressive issues and innovations in the new Electoral Act.
“The Commission will organise zonal trainings and workshops for the media on the new issues in the electoral legal framework and practical issues in their implementation. The media must have a working knowledge of the new law, the new innovations and issues in the electoral process to report and report well.
“Journalists, editors and media managers must also read and understand the new template for the conduct of elections. Without a good knowledge and understating of the law and its dynamics, the media may not be in a position to perform and perform well,” Yakubu said.
He said INEC will continue to rely on the media to get its messages across to the public while remaining open and transparent in the management of elections and upfront in the provision of information.
He also tasked the media toname and shame the vote buyers corrupting the electoral process as well name and shame those that deploy violence to the polling units and collation centers.
“We must not allow the current regime of electoral impunity to continue. Violence and electoral malfeasance pervade our electoral process because we do not name and shame the perpetrators and they are not brought to book”.
Some of the panelists at the workshop included the Head of Department Mass Communication, Baze University, Prof Abiodun Adeniyi; Executive Director YIAGA, Samson Itodo; Country Director Action Aid, Ene Obi and labour leader, Owei Lakemka. Senior Editor, Washington Examiner, David Mark also attended the workshop.
In his remarks, Itodo said the country needed an independent INEC to operationalise the current Electoral Act while tasking the media to protect INEC from political interference of the political parties.
He said the citizens must demand an agenda for a peaceful and democratic election.
Obi called for funding and research for the media and development oriented reportage and with more focus on investigative journalism and training of media to campaign for responsible governance.
Fiery unionist, Lakemka said that democracy is not working in Nigeria because of escalating corruption of the members of the National Assembly and other organs of government, who are fond of padding the budget with many bogus items.
