…. as agenda setting role of media in democracy, FOIA , the Niger Delta Issue among others, dominate discussions.
The final phase of the Capacity Building Training Workshop for members of the Nigerian Guild of Editors ( NGE), sponsored by the United States Embassy in Nigeria has ended in Port Harcourt with a review on the role of the Media in consolidating democracy, setting an agenda for the future,Tools for promoting Transparency and Accountability, Fact check and the Niger Delta Issue among others.
The Port Harcourt event was the last of the zonal workshop series held across the six geopolitical zones in the country
Delivering the paper titled” Media and the Task of Consolidating Nigeria’s Democracy: An Emerging Framework for Evaluation and Agenda Setting ” a professor of Mass Communication, Prof. Okon Godwin Bassey in critically analyzing the concepts of good governance and democracy noted that both concepts are complementary” in the lexicon of political economics and represent participation of the people and sensitivity to the people in their yearnings and aspirations.”
Prof.Okon,who is the Dean, Faculty of Social Science, Rivers State University, Port Harcourt said that” the task of consolidating Nigeria’s democracy rests extensively on the mass media since they have by default been endowed with propensities to inform and educate.
The Don stated that the mass media is obligated to consolidate Nigeria’s democracy since its duties are bound by Section 22 of 1999 constitution which states that” The press, radio, television and other agencies of the mass media shall at all times, uphold the fundamental objectives contained in this chapter and uphold the responsibility and accountability of the government to the people.”
According to him, the Editor influence behavioral change in view of his privileged position and said that journalism is a noble profession and as such, the editor should be respected in society.
Prof.Okon who has written several books and journals and headed various academic departments explained the influence of a sound press on democracy.
He said” We need a vibrant press to drive a robust democracy.”
Okon who said that sound journalism triggers vibrant voter education which rests squarely on the shoulder of the editor,stated that pessimism on the part of the media is the reason why the society set the agenda for the media.
He charged the Editors to take advantage of the electioneering period to create multilateral awareness on the ideals of democracy by setting up platforms for discourse analysis in areas such as voter apathy taking cognisant of variables – Cumulation, Consonance and Salience which necessitate agenda setting..
Speaking on FOIA As Editors tool for promoting Transparency and Accountability, Edetaen Ojo, Executive Director of Media Rights Agenda in Lagos said the media has a constitutional responsibility to hold government accountable.
He said the Watch Dog role of the media is backed by Chapter 2, Section 22 of the 1999 constitution which outlines the duties of the mass media.
Ojo,a Board member of Media Foundation for West Africa ( MFWA) said the FOI Act is a powerful tool for ensuring transparency and accountability.
He said that deploying the ACT in reporting would enable journalists to perform their duties creditably.
The rights activist stated that the Press needs to galvanise the electorate in what they need to know, and discourage political office holders that are not doing well adding that by so doing,we will be raising the bar on engagement and thanked the sponsors and the NGE for the training.
In his presentation, Azu Ishiekwene, Editor- in- Chief of Leadership Newspapers and member of the Nigerian Guild of Editors urged Editors to fight for facts saying that is the way to get it right.
In his remarks, President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, Mustapha Isah said the media should monitor politicians closely and educate the electorate on shunning financial inducements so as not to be compromised and mortgage their future.
He thanked the Sponsors for the opportunity of training and urged the Editors not to relent in their roles of practicing sound journalism to deepen democracy in the country.
A lecture on the security issue in the Niger Delta and what the Editors need to know was delivered by Dr Steven Wordu,a senior lecturer in the Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Port Harcourt.
Dr Wordu said just as Oil is the major escalator of global conflicts such as the Second World War and now, the Russian- Ukrainian crisis, Oil is the issue in the Niger Delta .
He traced the origin of the Nigeria Civil War to the production of Oil in the Niger Delta in the 60s and said the people of the Niger Delta are suffering in the midst of plenty..
The University lecturer recalled the time iin the country when the problem of Nigeria was how to spend the money,a situation he noted led to squandering of the country’s resources .
He drew the attention of the Editors to environmental problems and the untold hardship suffered by the people.
The Workshop was preceded by a Town Hall meeting which had the academia, civil society, Journalists, traditional rulers and faith based organisations in attendance.
