Former Minister of Information and Communication, Frank Nweke Jnr has attributed the current challenges in security, rising cost of Petroleum Products and exchange rate to lack of quality leadership.
Delivering a text on Tuesday as lead Speaker on the Theme” Assessing Media Performance in Consolidating Nigeria’s Democracy: Citizens’ Verdict and Outlining an Agenda for the Future” at the South East Town Hall Meeting/ Capacity Building for Editors, Nweke urged the media to do more in agenda setting to sustain the country’s democracy.
According to him, the Media is constitutionally empowered as the watchdog of the society to hold government accountable to the people.
Citing Section 22 of the 1999 constitution which he said is justiciable, which compels “the Press, radio, Television and other agencies of the mass media to,at all time, be free to uphold the responsibility and accountability of the government to the people”. Nweke charged the media to do its work without fear by bringing.to the public domain hidden issues.
The former Minister who said the media is obligated to set agenda for economic strife, political development and several others, however, lamented poor wages of Journalists.
He said there was the need for befitting wages of the noble profession saying” it is the only way you can insulate them from compromise.”
Nweke said the poor renumeration and the emerging social media outlets are a challenge to the Nigerian journalist and solicited the help of Organizations and Individuals to contribute to the growth of the media.
Another Speaker,Dr Maxwell Ngene, Senior Lecturer,IMT, Enugu said the journalist has the capacity to create ideas, and must lead the way not minding the obstacles.
” As journalist you must help the country to evolve,Our country needs redemption,our country needs re- orientation. “
Dr Ngene said in a country like Nigeria with 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory FCT especially with political activities nearly reaching the peak, there was the need for journalists to set agenda for politicians to play politics without bitterness and eschew corruption and ethnicity.
” If you look at the Buhari Government, you will notice that Igbos are excluded from the APC government. He lied to Nigerians that he will be President to all.” He added that the right thing for anyone to do as soon as elected into office was to do away with divisive tendency like ethnic leaning.
In her remarks Spokesperson for the United States Embassy, Jeanne I . Clark said the media plays a vital role in contributing to sustaining democracy by writing passionately and holding politicians accountable.
Sharing disturbing trends in Africa’s democracy of which Nigeria has a major share, Clark said “headlines suggest that democracy should be run like a criminal enterprise” which is why she advised that the media should play the role of educating the people, promoting what unites them and hold accountable those occupying leadership positions..
In his address at the meeting, President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, Mustapha Isah said a free media has the capacity to hold government accountable.
However, he was apprehensive of freedom of the press in the country.
The NGE President said the freedom of the media allows for the creation of a public space that is responsible for checking malpractices of leadership and to monitor compliance with the electoral system to enable sustainable democratic culture in the country
He added ” we should strive to ensure that those who lead us in 2023 have the capacity to rule”.
