'FOIB is too important to be ignored'

By Kabir Alabi Garba  (The Guardian, Monday, September 11, 2006)

"THE report is virtually ready. In the next one or two weeks, the report will be presented. It is virtually ready, we are just doing little editing here and there."

With these words, the Senate on Thursday in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, raised the hope for the passage of the Freedom of Information Bill (FOIB) before the end of the legislative tenure.

Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba spoke at the third All Nigeria Editors Conference (ANEC 2006) held between September 6 and 10, 2006 in Yenagoa. He was responding to a challenge that the upper legislative chamber is found of giving promise without fulfilling it. It was the same Senator Ndoma-Egba that during the anniversary of the World Press Freedom Day on May 3, 2006 in Abuja promised that before the end of July the bill would be passed.
 

Representing the Senate President, Ken Nnamani at the five-day conference, there was emphasis on the symbiotic relationship between the media and parliament in the effort to strengthen democratic process.

"In full appreciation of the role of the media, particularly at such critical period of our political evolution, the federal legislature has facilitated seminars and workshops for political correspondents as a way of building their capacities for these challenges," the senate president said.

He stressed further that "the Freedom of Information Bill is being given accelerated hearing arising from its importance in facilitating the role of the media in enhancing accountability and good governance.

For Nnamani, "the federal legislature shares equal concern with the media in the areas of civic and human rights."

He expressed the commitment of the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly "to protecting and preserving the fundamental rights of Nigerians at all times."

With Media and the Challenges of Political Transition as theme, Nnamani said the conference is timely "coming at this period when Nigeria navigates the curve of our democratic learning process. As the largest and perhaps most strategic African nation, we all realise the historic importance of the forthcoming 2007 Nigerian elections."

According to him, the challenge is "to debunk the claim in privileged circles of power in the world that African countries are incapable of managing peaceful political transitions. We must face up to this challenge and prove to cynics that if other nations can successfully conduct credible and peaceful elections, Nigeria can do even better."

He expressed satisfaction that the conference "is significant, not just because it provides the opportunity for the mass media to examine new trends and international best practices in the profession, but also to discuss contemporary national issues. Your chosen theme for this year's conference: Media and the Challenges of Political Transition is, therefore, apt as we gear up to the challenges of a successful democratic transition."

Nnamani went on to underscore the significance of media in every society. "In any free society, the mass media is accepted as a major avenue for communication and the dissemination of information and ideas. The media is regarded as the Fourth Estate of the Realm, after the Executive, Legislative and Judicial arms of government.

"Journalists, who are the main practitioners in the media profession, are expected to serve as watchdogs, protecting and promoting the interests of the larger society. Your observations, suggestions and criticisms are expected to be constructive, not partisan or destructive. Your judgment is supposed to be fair and balanced.

"The media occupies a strategic position in influencing the course of events in any society, in shaping the choices that the citizens make. This is because as the custodians of information, media practitioners decide the extent to which you can influence the direction of society.

"In performing your traditional functions, the media end up contributing immensely to the political, social and economic development of society by canvassing positive changes. Thus, from whatever perspective one looks at, the media is a major agent of nation building."

Reference was made to the popular dictum that 'information is power' to justify the important place the media occupies in the scheme of national development.

But Nnamani mentioned specific role the media is expected to play in the transition process. His submission: "Representing first-line stakeholders in Nigeria's democratic enterprise, there is the need for the media to partner with Parliament in acknowledging the challenges we face and engaging the public in the learning process that is required for democracy to survive in Nigeria.

For instance, it is important to build public confidence in the work of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) through multi-stakeholder dialogue and more intense scrutiny of INEC's preparations for credible elections. All known and probable sources of leakages or rigging must be laid on the table for deliberation. We must mobilise and ensure that preparations for the elections are firmly on track. And the media is best placed to co-ordinate this desirable mobilisation and sensitisation of all stakeholders.

"By the sheer advantage of your mass reach, the media can exert tremendous influence in the process of voter and civic education. The media responsibility in this regard will have to include, but not limited to regular jingles, drama presentations, documentaries, feature articles and other persuasive and educational programmes.

"You must consciously guide the electorate towards issue-based politicking instead of politics based on personality or other primordial considerations. You must provide the equitable platform for all aspirants and candidates alike to debate and espouse their ideas. In the print and electronic media, the populace should be provided the unfettered chance to put the politicians to task, analyse their manifestoes, in order to decipher the depth and practicability of their plans and intentions.

"The media should make it a duty to constantly preach the gospel of politics without bitterness. You must draw parallels with advanced democracies where politics is seen as an avenue for selfless service instead of a do-or-die affair. The tendency for sensationalism must be curbed, and more emphasis placed on investigative and facts-based reporting. Vindictive reportage and the pull-him down syndrome should no longer have a place in 21st Century journalism where international best practices are fast becoming the norm.

"As part of your sacred duty to expose anti-democratic forces who are bent on reversing our gains, you must show keen interest and constantly monitor Police investigations into reported cases of political violence and assassinations, as we have unfortunately witnessed in Nigeria. For those cases that get to the prosecution stages, the judicial process must also be of engaging interest to the media, in seeing that justice is manifestly done.

"In the general strive to consolidate and sustain our democracy, the media must additionally highlight and reprimand unconstitutional conduct and tendencies by individuals or by all tiers and arms of government. By virtue of the positions that your have attained in the media profession, the Guild of Editors must exert a stabilising influence in the practice of journalism. You must regulate your members and subordinates, constantly enforcing standards and ethics of the profession. At all times, your conduct must reaffirm the nobility and respectability of the journalism profession."

The Senate President therefore canvassed a meaningful partnership between the media and lawmakers with an admonition that "we must model the best of what we share at this gathering. Perhaps even more importantly, we most act. For, without faithful implementation of the outcomes of this conference, the effort would not have been worth the while."

The submission of the guest speaker, Dr. Ibrahim Tahir, former Communication Minister was similar to that of the Senate President as he canvassed more commitment to the national values from the media.

Among digitaries at the opening ceremony on Thursday were Bayelsa State governor, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, his deputy, Peremobowei Ebebi; National President, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ndagene Aku; President, the Izon Media Forum, Asu Beks among others.

Unlike the previous two editions, this year's conference was managed by the Timex Communications headed by Mallam Kabir Dangogo