ABUBAKAR YUNUS,Enugu
Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) in collaboration with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) have trained no fewer than 50 journalists across the north-west and South East zones on conflict sensitive reporting.
In his opening remarks at the North West training, the Head of Department Voters’ Education, Publicity and Inclusivity of INEC, Adam Ahmad Maulud, charged the media on free, fair and credible elections coverage in the forthcoming elections.
Maulud who was represented by the Head of Unit Voters’ Education, Garba Ashiru at the opening of a two-day capacity building training in Kano on Wednesday, said that journalists must have knowledge of the political, economic and social environment of their assigned beat.
While speaking, Maulud further explained that journalists must also have the requisite knowledge of the law and the constitution, especially the laws guiding the conduct of elections.
He however, tasked journalists to rise above ethnic and religious profiling.
Also speaking, the CDD Director, Idayat Hassan, disclosed that the aim
of the training was to enhanced the capacity of journalists, especially those who may be assigned to cover the coming elections.
According to Kunle Abiodun, the programm Officer of CDD, who represented the Director, stressed the need for journalists to be objective and accurate in their reportage for better society, being the reason for the training.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of NUJ, Kano Council, Abbas Ibrahim, opined that the capacity building training was coming at the right time that the nation is preparing for another round of general elections come 2023.
The Kano Council Chairman who hosted other journalists across the north-west states also said that journalists must be more professional in the discharge of their duties, owing to the fact that the media is constitutionally empowered to hold the government and the governed accountable.
On the electoral act, the representative of INEC, Legal Office, Kano state, Badiya Lawal Ibrahim, disclosed that the new electoral act has addressed all issues relating to the election malpratices in Nigeria.
This is just as she explained that the section 3; sub 3 of the act provided that INEC should be funded one year before the conduct of the general elections, which according to her was to encourage free, fair and credible elections.
In the South -East training the president of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Chris Isiguzo, who was represented by Ladi Bala, said journalists must avoid hate journalism, and fake news as these evils can destroy a society.
He said ” The advent of multi-media technology has changed the pattern and flow of communication, globally and since journalism is in the business and practice of Communication, it has also been impacted tremendously.
” Social media platforms have thrown up challenges and opportunities for the practice of journalism which we encourage journalists and their media organizations to fully embrace.”
In his welcome remark, the Director of the Center for Democracy and Development, Idayat Hassan, represented by Damian Ihekoronye
explained that This is not the first time we are doing this, we are doing it across all 6 geo-political zones, we started it in the South-South (Port Harcourt), we moved to the South-West (Lagos), North-Central (Abuja) my colleagues was in Gombe last week for the North-East and as It’s happening here today, (Enugu) for the South-East and the same thing is happening in Kano for the North-West, so, we are covering the 6 geo-political zones in Nigeria.
“We think that the media campaign is very important in every organization to be sure we can have a peaceful and credible election because we can have a credible election that can not be peaceful, so we demand to have a credible, transparent, and peaceful election.
“This training happening here today can play a very good role if the journalist and the civil society decision are sensitive to their communication and media messages that there pass on you will be able to guarantee a credible, transparent and peaceful,” she said
Earlier on, Resident INEC electoral commissioner, in Enugu State, Dr.Chukwuemeka Joseph Chukwu, represented by Achumie Rex Chuka said the need for an efficient, effective and seamless communication/reportage in an ln electoral process cannot be over-emphasized since it constitutes an important aspect of the process that is capable of facilitating or hindered the outcome of a successful election.
On the electoral act, representatives of INEC, Head of Department Legal office, Enugu State said amendment of e act 2022 would make the incoming election free and fair.
While quoting Section 3(3) of the Electoral Act 2022, he said the section provided that funds for general elections must be released at least one year before the election. Under the repealed Electoral Act, No 26, 2010, the disbursement of funds for the elections shall be made per rules set out by the commission.
