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…lunches Media Election IOS/Web App
Media NGO, International Press Centre (IPC) has concluded a stakeholders’ roundtable on democratic accountability, incorporating the public presentation of independently compiled campaign promises of President Bola Tinubu and launch of IOS/Web App of Media Code of Elections.
The event which held in Abuja featured journalists, civil society actors and a media aide to President Tinubu who participated at the roundtable.
Giving a highlight of the publication, Executive Director of IPC, Mr. Lanre Arogundade said some of the campaign promises of President Bola Tinubu were made by statements and the media must follow up to see the promises delivered to the people.
“Some of the promises are by way of statements, we need contacts in the government especially when we need to verify our stories and get the other sides,” he said, advising journalists to get the contact of the presidential aide present at the event in order to follow up on stories.
Talking about the publication, Arogundade said, “We monitored 20 news medium and IPC has a way of monitoring trends, we have the list of newspapers and we expect we advance the course of the media as the fourth estate of the realm in line with the Section 22 of the 1999 Constitution.”
Lead speaker at the event and Founding Executive Director, African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development, Dr. Otive Igbuzor said democracy is the best form of government despite the decline in confidence of the followers in their leaders.
“Of all types of government including autocracy, monarchy, democracy, democracy is the best form of government and there is a nexus between democracy and development”, he said.
Igbuzor also went down memory lane when he recalled that democracy began in the 18th century and from the first century to the 17th century, there have been different types of government, but today, he said , “The majority of the people believe that liberal democracy is the way to go and this include equality, citizens’ participation, accountability, transparency, economic freedom, human rights etc., but the challenge is that liberal democracy is facing the crisis of legitimacy.”
However, according to him, there are tools to check the leadership to ensure accountability.
“There are several tools that citizens can use to hold the government accountable and I want to appeal to Nigerian citizens to use the tools,” he appealed.
The activist however stated further that the budget is one of the tools to hold the government accountable as citizens can look at the budget and check if it is adequate.
He also mentioned project as another tool to demand accountability from the government.
“Projects can be used to hold the government accountable. For good governance and development to take place, there must be good communication and the media is a tool to communicate,” he said.
Earlier at the event, an expert in media and communication development and Executive Director of the Institute for Media and Society (IMS), Dr. Akin Akingbulu in his good will message at the event, said, the event was coming at the right time.
“It is a right activity at the right time, I appreciate the IPC for putting this event together. IPC wants stakeholders to get down and talk about governance, they put on the table on where the President and stakeholders said to us they will take the country to.
“Now they have got to the office it is very good we trace them detail by detail, track their campaign promises.
“Let us sit and have conversation with them and take commitment from them,” he charged.
Mr. Tunde Rahman, Presidential Aide to President Bola Tinubu at the event, however assured the participants and Nigerians at large of a robust media engagement.
Rahman, who was represented by Mr. Ayo Oyalowo, said, Mr. President is hitting the ground running since the inception of his administration and the media can be sure of a robust engagement.
“It is painful that the fuel subsidy had to go because you can’t be owing trillions and still be paying subsidy for doing nothing,” he said.
He however challenged the media to hold the Presidency accountable.
On what the Federal Government is doing for the People Living With Disabilities (PLWD), he said, “The PLWD issue is state government’s responsibility but the Federal Government is engaging the state governments to be proactive on matters relating to them.
He however asked for patience and understanding as the presidency settles down to work.
The event was organised by the IPC in partnership with the European Union on the project EU-Support To Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN II ) Component 4: Support To Media.
Report by Immanuel O. Adeyomoye
Abuja
