Democracy: Nigerian Editors dig deeper
BY SIMON EBEGBULEM
THE Seventh All Nigeria Guild of Editors Conference (ANEC) that ended in Benin-City, Edo State last weekend was truly remarkable. The conference of newspaper and broadcast editors was aptly themed: “Deepening Our Democracy: The Role of the Editor.” The theme was indeed reflective of the editors’ stake in the nation’s democracy project.
It was as such not surprising that some of the nation’s major democracy stakeholders also showed up at the event. Among those who came were Speaker Aminu Tambuwal of the House of Representatives, Governors Raji Fashola of Lagos State, Adams Oshiomhole ( Edo), Peter Obi (Anambra), who was represented and the newly appointed chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Information, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe.
Also present were former Governor of Ogun State, Chief Segun Osoba who is himself a former journalist, Mr. Donald Duke a former Governor of Cross River State, Mr. Sam Amuka publisher of Vanguard Newspapers, the Minister of Information Mr. Labaran Maku also a former journalist, erstwhile minister of Federal Capital Territory Mallam Nasir El-Rufai who is now a newspaper columnist and Mrs. Remi Oyo the Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN who herself is a former President of the guild.
Among the speakers were the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC Prof. Attahiru Jega, President of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA Mr. J. Daudu and Ambassador Dapo Fafowora.
The thrust of the conference was encapsulated in the welcome address delivered by the NGE’s President, Mr. Gbenga Adefaye on Thursday, September 22, the opening day of the conference “Benin 2011 is particularly important because at the Seventh ANEC, we are focusing on the theme: “Deepening Democracy with the Editors, in a capital city of Edo State that has experienced change in every respect.
Governor Adams Oshiomhole in a handshake with Mrs Funke Egbemode, Sunday Editor, The Sun (left) while Mr Gbenga Adefaye, President, Nigerian Guild of Editors (2nd right) and other executive members during a courtesy visit of NGE executive members to the Governor of Edo State, in Benin City, last Wednesday.
It was not always that our votes counted. But it started counting in Edo State and Prof. Attahiru Jega is generally believed to be continuing with the process of institutionalizing “One man one Vote”, even if it is imperfect yet.”
Gov Oshiomhole
Noting the significance of holding the conference in Benin, Adefaye who is also the Editor-in-Chief and General Manager (Publications) of Vanguard, said: “Our Chief host, Comrade Governor Adams Oshiomhole is also known to have championed the same cause rather robustly in the run up to the last general elections in April, this year.
It is equally important that while the theme of our conference is about Deepening Democracy, key participants at this event have great experience in civil society activism and consensus building-subjects that are not alien to journalism practice”.
While pointing out the qualities of the speakers lined up for the event, Adefaye expressed optimism that the conference would proffer solutions to many of the problems confronting the nation’s democracy.
In his opening remarks, Governor Oshiomhole who commended the NGE for bringing the event to Edo state, commended President Goodluck Jonathan and Prof. Jega for the improvement observed during the last April general elections. He noted, however, that they were still some “crooks” in INEC who were determined to subvert the efforts of the duo.
Noting the role of the media in helping him through his challenges, he said: “There were many people who were rigged out in 2007 but only few were able to reclaim their mandate. I happened to be one of that very few and I also believe that it is largely because the media helped to make the point that Oshiomhole’s case is different and should be treated properly.
“I believe that the last election reflected the qualities of two main characters, that of the President and Commander in Chief, President Goodluck Jonathan and that of Prof. Attahiru Jega. I believe that these two personalities can claim the credit for the substantial improvement in the conduct of the last elections. Those elections were not perfect we still had the problem of rigging. But it won’t be right to suggest that those rigging were ordered by Abuja the way they were done in 2007.”
Speaking further, he said: “There are people in Nigeria who believe that democracy means one man can fix election results and if you protest they lock you up. For him that is democracy and every day he assembles thugs and puts down good sum of money to service the process. When he has succeeded in fixing his people he turns round to talk about democracy dividends when he should be talking about rigging dividends.
“The President appoints both the INEC chairman and all the INEC functionaries. So the character of INEC must substantially reflect the character of the appointing authority. I believe that Iwu’s attitude to his job reflected the character of the man who gave him the job. The media is also part of the system. Whether we have free and fair election depends on the character and attitude of the President, if we have a President who sees himself strictly as a party man, then it will be do or die. ”
Speaking on the topic “Danger Signals to Nigeria’s Democracy” the national president of the NBA Barrister Daudu, SAN, said Nigerian leaders must recognize that the responsibility imposed on them is sacred and they therefore must be guided by the dictates of truth, honesty, sincerity and the fear of God Almighty.
He listed signals such as the crises in Jos, the 2011 Post-presidential election violence economic and financial crimes, Boko Haram and road carnage among other indices to assert that Nigeria was under threat.
To solve the crises Daudu proposed “Nigerianizing everybody. That is you should bean indigene if you have elected to live among any ethnic group in Nigeria for an agreed number of years and you demonstrate a desire to live there; then such a person should be qualified to append as his local government and state, such place of his domicile”.
In his own remarks the Minister of Information put culpability for Nigeria’s ills on the totality of the citizenry.
“All of us are guilty of whatever we are suffering,” he said.
“I think one of the major problems of Nigeria is that we don’t have a holistic national elite. Nigerians are either thinking as tribesmen or religious people. We are not thinking like people that are running a nation that is diverse and which leadership must rise above the division and give the people leadership. Now we can’t continue like this,” he added.
Thumping up the administration’s positive credentials in the conduct of elections, he said: “The 2011 election in Nigeria counted more than any election in the country. Why was it so, because we had a new generation President who does not believe on the crisis of the past but who decided that we want a new thing.
“And he appointed Jega a radical. And if you look, children of former leaders in this country lost in the election. Some of the problems we are experiencing are historical problems not necessarily leadership and we must stop them to move forward,” he affirmed.
In his own key note address, Jega commended the media for its robust collaboration with the commission in realizing the success that came out of the 2011 elections.
Represented by Prince Solomon Soyebi, a Commissioner in INEC, Jega pointed out that “whatever gains were recorded in the April elections would have been impossible without the massive support of the media for our commission and the electoral process. The Nigerian Editor is well positioned to water the tendrils of our democracy and help in enthroning the culture of good governance”.
In his own presentation titled, “Perspectives on the cost of Governance in a Democracy”, El-Rufai, faulted the approach of the National Assembly towards the enactment of the annual Appropriation Acts since the commencement of democracy in 1999.
According to him, “What has been experienced is a situation in which figures in the Appropriation Bills have been illogically tampered with at the point of debate, defence and enactment.
He lamented the high cost of governance in the country and warned that Nigerians may continue to suffer poverty unless government changes its approach towards spending as regards the cost of running an office”.
Former Governor Duke, who spoke on the topic, “True Autonomy of the Local Governments,” stressed the need for the autonomy of the governing unit at the grass root level, saying that it would be difficult for democracy to grow if those at the grass root level are not given the opportunity to express themselves economically and politically.
In his own remarks, Governor Fashola appealed to the Nigerian media to play down stories that tend to give the negative publicity to the nation, asserting that the interest of the nation must always be protected at all times.
Following three days of brainstorming Governor Oshiomhole took the editors on a tour of road projects his administration executed in Edo North.
In a communiqué issued at the end of the conference signed by the Guild’s President Adefaye and the Chairman of the Conference Committee, Femi Adesina, the editors resolved among others:
-All Democratic institutions, organs and machinery should be strengthened by all stakeholders to achieve the desire of sustainable democracy. That Poverty, illiteracy, injustice and fraudulent elections constitute great threats to our democracy and the state should strive to exterminate them.
-There was an appreciable improvement in the conduct of the 2011 elections and the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC is urged to to strive to achieve best practices in the electoral process.
-The local Government as the third tier of government should remain but must be strengthened by expunging the vexatious sections of the constitution that list them while the states should be given full powers to legislate on the structure, composition and administration of council areas.
-The high cost of governance in Nigeria which invariably hobbles the deepening of democracy in the country is avoidable and all tiers of government should work assiduously towards reducing it drastically.
- Insecurity is a major threat to the nation’s democracy and the general well being of the polity.
The President and the security agencies should tackle insecurity urgently and protect lives and property. Dialogue should be employed where necessary while criminal breach of security should be punished.
-Indigene/settler dichotomy which stokes the fire of ethno-religious violence is against our constitution. Residency should determine the rights and privileges of the citizens”. —The Editors should always probe beyond the advertised purpose of any policy initiative to ensure that they are in the interest of the people.
- The editors should be in the vanguard of promoting National Unity and integration.
- They should deny access to those who seek to use the media to fan embers of ethnicity and divisive politics.
-The Guild also noted the transformational programmes of Governor Adams Oshiomhole and urged the Governor to keep it up and expressed appreciation to him for hosting the conference.
The event which many hailed as very successful, came to an end last Saturday with a gala night organized for the participants by the Edo state government at Government House Benin City.
