Media practitioners in Aba, the commercial hub of Abia State, have appealed to various State Governments in Nigeria, yet to domesticate the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act and Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA), to do so, to enhance accessibility and enforceability of the laws to guarantee accountability in governance.
They observed that domestication of the laws would ensure transparency in governance and reduce corruption, which is a major threat to the country’s economic development.
The appeal is contained in a Communique issued after a one-day media roundtable on support to civil society advocacy towards strengthening key legislative frameworks for increased accountability and good governance in Abia State, held Friday at Chidi Nwosu Freedom Hall, Aba.
The forum was organised by the African Centre for Human Advancement and Resource Support (CHARS-Africa), with support from the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC) Programme, funded by the European Union and implemented by International IDEA.
Participants also advocated that the Public Procurement Act (PPA) be reformed to incorporate inputs from key stakeholders, so as to suit Abia indigenes.
To ensure that media practitioners carry out their duties effectively, participants were of the view that journalists should be made to undergo periodic training to expose them to the provisions of these frameworks and how to put them to practical use.
“Journalists should be encouraged to promote ethical journalism, as journalists are supposed to uphold accuracy, objectivity and maintain reporting, based on facts in their line of engagement”, it was noted.
They also called for the strengthening of collaboration between civil society organisations (CSOs) and the media to enhance the quest for accountability, through ensuring compliance with the provisions of the frameworks.
To protect journalists against overzealous politicians, their supporters and other government functionaries, the forum suggested enhanced legal and financial protection for journalists:
“Media practitioners should be provided with legal and financial support to shield them from intimidation and enable them to discharge their professional duties genuinely without fear or favour. Public officials must be trained to comply with legislative provisions on accountability, transparency and in granting access to information of public interest”, it was added.
Encouraging public engagement in governance, they called on citizens to be more actively involved in monitoring government activities at all levels to foster a culture of accountability.
Participants reaffirmed their commitment to the crucial role of the media in promoting good governance and called for sustained engagement, through advocacy and training, so as to ensure that the application of the Legislative Frameworks to promote transparency and accountability in Nigeria, and particularly in Abia State, become a norm.
They further urged all stakeholders, including government agencies, civil society organisations, and the general public, to support initiatives aimed at strengthening accountability and transparency in governance.
The roundtable convened practitioners from the print, radio and social media outfits based in Aba and its environs to discuss how to use the Legislative Frameworks, such as the Fiscal Responsibility Act, (FRA), Public Procurement Act (PPA) and Freedom of Information Act (FoIA), for enhancing the media in promoting accountability and good governance.
The discussions focused on the limitations faced by the journalists in the use of legislative frameworks for the purpose of transparency and accountability in Governance. It also proffered solutions to tackle the identified challenges.
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