Peace, Basic Requirement In Nigeria Democracy – NUJ President
BY Ifeanyi Nwanguma
The National President of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Deacon Chris Isiguzo has called on all Political actors in Nigeria to embrace conflict resolution and peace building as 2023 general elections draw closer.
Deacon Isiguzo who made the appeal in his keynote Address at the two day Capacity Building For Journalists and Civil Society Organisations in South East held at Enugu, pointed out that no democracy can develop without peace, adding that peace is a basic requirement in a democracy.
The NUJ President who was Represented at the Workshop tagged, “Media Training On Conflict Sensitive Reporting, 2023 General Elections And Countering Fake News”, by the National President of Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) Comrade Ladi Bala, argued that though crisis and conflicts can never be permanently eliminated in Nigeria Society, however stressed the need for all political actors in Nigeria to embrace measures towards conflict resolution and peace building.
Deacon Isiguzo in his Keynote Address captioned, “Role of the Media in the conduct of Peaceful Elections” charged journalists to take the issue of peace as a cardinal point in their reportage, adding that there is every need to be careful as the Society which is already fragile does not explode or implode as a result of reportage.
According to him, “Peace is a basic requirement in a democracy. No democracy can develop in the absence of peace. We all know that it is inevitable to completely eliminate crises and conflicts from our society, however it is important if deliberate efforts are made
toward conflict resolution and peace building.”
“How then can journalists use the power of the mass media to
resolve rather than inflame conflicts? How can we as responsible
citizens and media professionals help in ensuring a smooth and peaceful democratic transition? Is it possible to use the media pro-actively to help the complex process of conflict management and transformation to peaceful co-existence?”
“Most importantly, while examining the ethical issues involved in reporting elections and conflicts, how can we play any constructive role in elections, in conflict and Post Conflict.”
“As Journalists, we are expected to develop a thorough understanding of the elections and the electoral process, an
understanding of conflicts and convey these to citizens in a way that reflect the truth in all their complexities. The proper foundation established by Journalists will provide citizens with the opportunities they require to make informed judgments about issues involved and perhaps help the government in taking meaningful decisions.”
“The role of the media in peace promotion or conflict escalation
has been heightened by a number of factors which include ownership and funding, editorial policy and the regulatory agencies, therefore it is proper to suggest peace journalism as
style of reportage, a theory which stresses the issue of balance as
an instrument in promoting peace and reducing dysfunctional conflict to the barest minimum.”
“Clearly, Journalists have contributed to the process of democratic sustainability in Nigeria in the past 23 years or thereabout, therefore they should also be interested in its future.
The 2023/general election is important to all journalists especially
as it will further stabilise our democracy and strengthen the democratic culture in Nigerian. The media should be more
committed to improving the ethical standard of news reportage
during elections. They must ensure that they undertake their professional duties within the ambit of the Electoral Law and other regulations. Professionally, they are required to improve their
news judgment as it affects elections and election related issues.”
“The process of voting where citizens come to cast their votes is also very important for the media to be active participants. In addition to the casting of votes, this phase also includes vote
counting and the verification of results. It is therefore another critical stage where the attention of Journalists is very key. It is the responsibility of Journalists to provide the necessary information whether the electoral system is fair and equitable, without ethnic- or regionally-based discrimination.”
“Journalists, as a matter of priority must always beam their searchlights on the Election Management Body – INEC to ensure that it is impartial and competent, that it embraces transparency
and inclusIvity in its composition and mandate in order to discharge its duties effectively.”
” The role of Journalists in the proper functioning of a democracy cannot therefore be ignored. Their “watchdog” role should center on unfettered scrutiny and discussion of the Successes and failures of politicians, governments, and the electoral management body. Journalists should inform the public
of how effectively the politicians have performed and help to hold them to account.”
“Other roles of media professionals should include educating voters on how to exercise their democratic rights by reporting on election campaigns through providing equal platforms for the
political parties and candidates to communicate their messages to the electorate.”
“It is the duty of Journalists to report election results as released or provided by INEC, and monitoring the entire process of vote counting. They should scrutinize the electoral process itself, in order to evaluate the fairness of the process, Its efficiency, and probity. Journalists must provide information that as far as possible, avoids inflammatory language, thus helping to
prevent election-related violence.”
“Journalists must avoid hate journalism, and fake news as these evils can destroy a society. 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 upon tremendously.
Social media platforms have thrown up challenges and opportunities for the practice of journalism which we encourage journalists and their media organisations to fully embrace.
Journalists need to avail themselves of the opportunities being provided by the Social Media Platforms to provide Credible information and reduce the prevalence of hate speech and fake news This will assist immeasurably in dousing tension in the polity.”
“The media plays a major role in keeping the citizenry abreast of current events and raising awareness of various issues in any society. They also have an extremely significant impact on the
public’s views and ways of thinking. The media are the primary means through which public opinions are shaped and at times manipulated. If this is the media’s role in a normal course of events, it becomes even more vital in exceptional periods, one of which is electoral junctures, when the media become primary players.”
“Journalists in Nigeria should work towards the advancement of
the right of freedom of expression, access to information, freedom
of the press, media independence, conflict transformation and
peace building. These are prerequisites for open governance and development, which ultimately serve the public interested inorder to properly advance public interests, earn public trust and
be watchdogs of the society, the pursuit of truth and public good must be the cornerstone of journalism practice in Nigeria. This makes it obligatory for every journalist to maximally comply with ethical principles and professional standards. It also makes it
obligatory for every journalist to be entitled to decent wages, protection from attacks or hazards and conducive working environment.”
“It is our hope that participants will make proper use of this training opportunity to ensure that a level playing field is provided for all political actors and ensure that peoples’ votes will count through a highly professional management of news by journalists who are equipped with international best practices. This is the only way we
as professionals, can advance the course of peace and ensure a
credible and peaceful transition.”
The two Day training Workshop for Journalists in South East Zone was organized by the Center for Democracy and Development CDD in collaboration with INEC and NUJ, Started on Wednesday, 8th December and will end Thursday 9th December, 2022.
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