In a bid to cover the 2015 general elections effectively and creditably, the Nigerian Press Council has organized a 2 day workshop for journalists in the South South zone of the country.
The event took place at Benin City, the Edo State capital over the weekend witnessed veteran journalists across the region.
Declaring the occasion open the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Edo State, Hon. Loius Odum represented by the Director of Publication in the Ministry, Mr. Lucky Wasa said the workshop was very apt and timely considering the current political and democratic dispensation currently going on in the country.
In his opening remark, the chairman of the occasion and a former president of Nigerian Union of journalist, Mr. George Izobo said the media should rise above board and prevent the calamity of the electoral violence by their reportage.
Mr. Izobo stated that reporters should not convey their prejudice or bias position so that they can give an objective reporting.
The former NUJ president charged media practitioners to be neutral in their reportage and not be on any side of the divide noting that such tendencies could heat the polity.
Welcoming the media to the workshop, the NUJ chairman, Edo State, Mr. Desmond Agbana said the workshop came at a critical time “when we are about to cover election”.
The NUJ chairman used the event to demand accountability from the political class so that peace will be maintained during and after the election.
He tasked the politicians to give voters education to their followers and the public in their campaign and manifestoes.
Mr. Agbana told the organizers of the workshop that there is need for constant training of journalists so that they will overcome some of the challenges they face during monitoring of election, especially their safety as most time journalists are exposed to hazard such as intimidation, harassment, destruction of their equipment, beating and killing
In their various paper presentations, Mr. Yusup Alli, Dr. Isiaka Yahya and Mr. Tunde Thompson dwelled on the role of the media in Electoral process, objective reporting, the panacea for free and fair election, 2015 elections. Expectation of the media in voter’s education among others.
Earlier, the executive secretary, Nigerian Press Council, Mr. Nnamdi Njemanze told participants that the workshop has been organized in other parts of the country saying the workshop should change the perceptive of the journalists as they should beam their searchlight on each of the candidates and INEC.
Mr. Njemanze tasked journalists to know what is contained in the Electoral Act and the Nigeria constitution especially the one that concern the media.
At the end of the workshop participants made observations and recommendations in the two page communiqué among them are: there are issues of job insecurity, self censorship and intolerance, there is inadequate access to relevant information and undue ownership should avoid self-censorship and accord open door policy to all existing political parties. That media professional should ensure factual, accurate and objective reporting at all times and avoid conflict of interest among others. ###
Pius Dukor
