Media crucial to implementation of Next Level agenda – Lawan

…Experts acknowledge role of Media in parliamentary democracy

Tunde Opalana, Abuja

President of the Senate, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, on Monday, attributed a great role to the Nigerian media in the implementation of the Next Level agenda of the President Muhammadu Buhari -led All Progressives Congress (APC) administration.

He said the media has contributed immensely to the evolution of democratic governance and the sustenance of the principle of power separation among the three arms of government in general and the parliament in particular as a critical arm of government.

Lawan was represented by the deputy president of the Senate, Ovie Omo-Agege, at the 2019 Senate Press Corps Day and Launching of West African Parliamentary Press Corps (WAPPC), Nigeria, at the National Assembly, Abuja on Monday.

Commending the role played by the media in highlighting the activities of lawmakers at the Federal and state level, the chairman of the National Assembly said the Buhari administration counts on the media as partner in achieving the goals of the government’s development agenda.

“In the Next Level agenda, the press has a critical role to play. Separation of powers was for check and balances but the military era in Africa made it partially eroded. The APC led government has prepared a visible template towards promoting good governance.”

“Under the leadership of the 9th assembly, we are going to treat areas of concern such as the insecurity, poverty and other issues,” Lawan said.

He said the National Assembly remains committed in carrying out the oversight and will deliver Nigerians from the present problems and make their well being better, adding that the media should engage in developmental reporting.

Other speakers at the twin occasions dwelt on the important role the media plays and should play in further entrenching Nigeria’s democracy.

The deputy chief whip of the Senate who was also a guest speaker, Senator Sabi Abdullah, said there must be a cautious handshake between the lawmakers and the members of the Senate press corps since both hold others to account.

“For the parliament, whether you do well or not, in four years, you must be held to account. The media professionals are not evaluated except for themselves and journalists must rise up and get a framework that will help their future.”

“Journalism is being broken into types which are posing a big challenge to the traditional Journalism work. The media must do something to regulate itself,” Abdullahi said, adding that journalists must take self regulation seriously.

“Self regulation will reposition journalists to be respected,” he added.

Abdullahi advised the traditional media not to key into the sensentionalisation of the news by the online media.

He said national interest should be taken into consideration in reporting security issues, adding that some Media executives can sit with some National leaders to know some of the issues that needs to be released to the public when it comes to security matters.

“There should be a mechanism to check fake Journalists. The overall Nigeria interest should be defined and the legislators must find a way of charting a new way with the Journalists for a new course,” Abdullahi added.

Dr. Orji Ogbonnaya Orji, Director of Media and Communications, NEITI, said journalists should be protected by the government in discharging their duties which he described as most essential to the existence of government.

To this end, he charged leadership of the National Assembly to institute support welfare programmes for National Assembly press corps members.

He said implementation of such programmes will safeguard journalists from poverty imposed ethics violation.

The President of the West African Parliamentary Press Corps, Arthur Edwin, said members have resolved to promote the activities of the parliament in sub-region, adding that it will promote democracy in the 15 member states.

He expressed worries about the infiltration of politicians into the media through ownership which has negative influence on professionalism.

National President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Chris Isiguzo, who was represented by the chairman, NUJ, FCT chapter, Mr. Emmanuel Ogbeche, said it was good to bring together Journalists across West Africa that cover sensitive beats such as the parliament.

He charged journalists to be relevant and objective in promoting professionalism, adding that effective parliamentary reporting helps democracy to strive.

He said the NUJ welcomes the opportunity for journalists to collaborate on how they report issues.