BY PATRICK ALBERT
Early in the year, precisely on Sunday, January 18, 2015, I led Journalists in Akwa Ibom State to Methodist Church Nigeria at Idung Ekaiko, Etebi Circuit in Esit Eket for our 2015 New Year Thanksgiving Service. I still relish every moment of that glorious and historic event.
Early in the year, precisely on Sunday, January 18, 2015, I led Journalists in Akwa Ibom State to Methodist Church Nigeria at Idung Ekaiko, Etebi Circuit in Esit Eket for our 2015 New Year Thanksgiving Service. I still relish every moment of that glorious and historic event.
What is more, I remain very grateful to the leadership of the Methodist establishment in the State for identifying with us at that service. Let me mention in particular the Archbishop, Methodist Archdiocese of Uyo, His Grace, Dr. Emmanuel Udofia, JP, who was well supported by Bishop Edem Offiong, Bishop of Eket Diocese of MCN, Very Rev. (Dr.) Otuekong Ukut, MCN, Uyo Central Circuit, 29 Ekpanya Street, Uyo and of course, the Prelate emeritus, His Eminence, Dr. Sunday Mbang,
Let me therefore commend the Methodist Young Men Fellowship for their thoughtfulness in organising this seminar on Non-Violence Campaign especially at this period of the 2015 general elections. I also salute the Methodist leadership for creating conducive environment for young men and women in the Church to contribute their quotas towards the development of the spiritual and material lives of members.
As indicated earlier, this seminar on non-violence is quite apt as political parties and their candidates are in electioneering period preparatory to General elections, to wit, to elect the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senators, Members of the House of Representatives, Governors and members of the 36 States’ Houses of Assembly.
Before I dovetail on the subject before me being, Media as Change Agent in Managing Attitudinal & Social Violence in the Society; I wish to reiterate that as Democracy is the Government of the People by the People and for the People, it must be clear before us that the electoral power to decide who accesses political power rests with the people.
I voiced out this on Friday, January 16, 2015, when I appeared in a live AKBC-TV popular programme series - Democracy 45 anchored by Pascal Usen, which dwelt on the 2015 Elections, NUJ and ethical compliance by journalists as well as the state of electioneering campaigns by political parties. In that programme, I boldly said that political power rests with the electorate through the instrument of votes and that the only genuine means of accessing political power is through the ballot.
Accordingly, Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States of America stated that “Elections belong to the people. It’s their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they will just have to sit on their blisters.” Again, Franklin D. Roosevelt, the 32nd President of the United States of America further added that “Democracy cannot succeed unless those who express their choice are prepared to choose wisely. The real safeguard of democracy, therefore, is education.”
However, the processes towards the exercise of that power come under an Election Management Body (EMB) and in our own case, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). While the people cast votes, the outcome of it – the results, is that of INEC to collate and announce. The summation here is that voting (electorate) and collation/declaration of a winner (EMB) is congruent to successful polls. And as Barbara Mikulski, United States Senator for Maryland surmised, “Every vote counts and every vote must be counted.” It demands therefore that the conduct of elections must be free, fair and transparent to ensure confidence in the process and acceptability of the results by all parties concerned – the voters, candidates and political parties, nay all interest groups.
Media as Change Agent in Managing Attitudinal & Social Violence in the Society
I wish to formally appreciate the leadership of Methodist Young Men Fellowship for inviting me in my capacity as Chairman of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Akwa Ibom State Council to participate in this seminar. As it is, NUJ is the embodiment of the Fourth Estate of the Realm and the society’s watchdog. To appreciate or fully understand the role of the media, it is imperative to look at its role. Generally, the Press stands as the news purveyor between the public and the three arms of government namely; the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary. It is a wide spread audience and the flow runs round the clock. The public and the various institutions of Government depend on the Press for news feeds/dissemination on their conducts or activities of one another, and on the feelings and expectations in the society.
The significance of the Media is well articulated by Thomas Jefferson–one of the founding fathers of America - the principal author of the Declaration of Independence (1776), and the third President of the United States (1801–1809). Jefferson as a great exponent of democracy, stated that “The basis of our governments being the opinion of the people, the very first object should be to keep that right; and were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.”
Again, Ban Ki-moon -UN Secretary-General & Irina Bokova - UNESCO Director-General made an interesting opinion on the Media thus, “Journalism provides a platform for informed discussion across a wide range of development issues – from environmental challenges and scientific progress to gender equality, youth engagement and peace building. Only when journalists are at liberty to monitor, investigate and criticize policies and actions can good governance exist.”
In the light of its contextual relevance, the Nigerian Constitution -1999 clearly outlined the responsibility of the Media. In Chapter II under the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy, Section 22, the Constitution assigns the Media the power to hold public officers accountable to the people. It states “The Press, Radio, Television and other agencies of the Mass Media shall at all times be free to uphold the fundamental objectives contained in this Chapter and uphold the responsibility and accountability of the Government to the people.”
With the birth of the Freedom of Information Act 2011, a further enabler is sourced by the Press to reinforce its watchdog status. The proviso unveils the power to access information within the domain of Government and its institutions which could have otherwise been classified as official secrets, etc for the purposes of keeping the public adequately informed, educated, enlightened and guided on their activities.
Clearly, the FOI Act states in section 1(1) thus: “Notwithstanding anything contained in any other Act, law or regulation, the right of any person to access or request information, whether or not contained in any written form, which is in the custody or possession of any public official, agency or institution howsoever described, is established.”
There exit other international statutes promoted by the United Nations and affirmed to by member-States. The UN General Assembly in 1993 following a recommendation adopted at the 26th session of UNESCO’s General Conference in 1991 effected a proclamation to mark World Press Freedom Day on May 3 each year to preview the Press and to reassert its role and challenges.
The event further re-enacts the commitment of countries of the world and her people to the importance of article 19 of the 1948 Universal Declaration on Human Rights which states that everyone “has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers”. The UN General Assembly resolution 68/163 of December 18, 2013 further proclaimed November 2, as the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists. All these are efforts to unencumber the Media for the sustenance of Democracy.
The Press plays significant role in forming and influencing people’s attitudes and behaviour. People are bound to be influenced by what they read regularly. The instruments of Mass Media present the opportunity to communicate to large numbers of people and to target particular groups of people. As stated by Gamble and Gamble (1999: 478), mass communication is significantly different from other forms of communication. They note that mass communication has the capacity to reach ‘simultaneously’ many thousands of people who are not related to the sender. This role makes it imperative for practitioners to be well grounded on their responsibilities to check abuses.
The practice entails a high degree of public trust and to earn and maintain this trust, practitioners (journalists) and Media houses have to observe ethical standards. The NUJ in concert with other stakeholders in the Media namely; Guild of Editors, Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN), and the Nigerian Press Council demands Journalists to stay on the part of truth and refrain from publishing inaccurate and misleading information.
As the public depends on us for News feeds – information, analysis and news breaks, it is apparent that whatever we publish, air or televise will certainly influence or determine the thinking of the people. That is the task before us and we have to do it responsibly.
In this context, our reportage must conform to the laid down rules as contained in the Code of Ethics of the journalism profession set out by stakeholders in the Media Industry. Without adherence to ethics, the society is bound to be misinformed or misled with false, unsubstantiated and ill-written information.
In my 2015 New Year Message to members at the January Congress, I stated thus: Unfounded and concocted reportage inflicts on the victims injuries which are near impossible to erase and heal than most severe orthopaedic cases.”
In the evaluation of the socio-political activities and struggle for Nigeria’s independence, it is known that the Nigerian Press was very vocal. Also, the successful return to civil rule after years of military interregnum was substantially won by the Nigerian Press. As it is, balanced and objective reportage will achieve the much desired attitudinal guidance towards the sustenance of democracy.
The moral status of a journalist is highlighted by Marguerite Duras (1914 –1996), a French writer and film director. Duras says that “Journalism without a moral position is impossible. Every journalist is a moralist; the dispositions of journalists are the shaping tools of a society.” Journalists must constantly act in circumstances that will prove that they are positive change agent. Management and dissemination of information count enormously for the success of democracy.
I must admit that journalists based on their medium, often come under ownership influence. But as a responsible professional body, we encourage our members to operate without compromising the basic ethics of the profession. Reporters have to decipher State interest, i.e. – public interest against the personal interest of the proprietor and to ensure that in the sum total, the State vis-à-vis the society should be protected at all times, especially against tyranny or inordinate ambitions of the political class.
The reasoning here is that if the State goes up in flames through unguarded news reports or breaking news that comes to break the society, it is the masses (Talakawas) who suffer. The ordinary people do not have the wherewithal to run into safe havens in the face of imminent crisis like the elites. Promoters of violence hardly suffer the consequences of it because they will always run to safety or have the means to protect themselves. We can see the case of Boko Haram. Majority of its victims are ordinary people.
The Press demands public functionaries and politicians to place the interest of the State above primordial or sectional considerations. They should cultivate the spirit of sportsmanship to achieve peaceful general elections coming ahead. Politics of 2015 should not destroy our ranks; soil our age-long unity, love and brotherhood as people of a common stock and destiny.
NUJ has through Congresses, workshops and at every event sensitized members towards meeting professional and public expectations. We are taking advantage, as one of the largest media markets in Nigeria, after Lagos and Abuja with over 100 local tabloids, 40 National Newspapers/Magazines and eight (8) electronic stations and a numerical strength of over 712 members, to reach out to the people to influence them positively.
The Media remains the Market place of ideas. The NUJ will continue to collaborate with relevant stakeholders to carry out voters’ education so as to sufficiently enlighten our people on their rights to vote for a candidate of their choice in all leadership positions in the forthcoming 2015 elections.
We are also going to have Live Interactive Session/Debate with the gubernatorial candidates to enable them lay before the people their visions and programmes for the State. We also intend to other levels of candidates to come before us so that the public will assess them better. There are other forms of media education and entertainment (such as television programmmes, film and live productions), aimed at encouraging positive attitudes.
I wish to recall that an online medium sought my view on the recent postponement of elections and I said that “We have to look at the issue dispassionately. Prof Attahiru Jega had in his briefing detailed processes necessary to guarantee successful conduct of elections. He stated that it is not wholly the responsibility of the Election Management Body (EMB). Prof Jega rightly listed other stakeholders like the security agencies, political parties and their candidates, voters, as well as interest groups, like the civil society groups and the media.
“However, he hinged the postponement on security reasons. But a detailed study reveals that INEC was not fully ready. As at February 5, 2015, the total number of Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) distributed by INEC were 45, 829, 808, representing 66.58% of the total number of registered voters. The percentage is not fair enough especially as PVCs were not evenly distributed across the 36 States and Abuja. If the PVCs distribution chart is published, discerning minds will see clearly. If the elections had gone as scheduled, some areas - people, Local Government Areas and States would not have had the opportunity to participate maximally. By implication, some would have had more advantages than others in terms of votes.
“I think we should accept the postponement in good faith. Nigeria is greater than any individual or political party. Let’s think together in order to get it right together. Let the EMB use the period to correct noticeable shortcomings. The security agencies should also gear up to give us a violence-free election on March 28 and April 11, 2015 respectively. We should be concerned about the successes of the elections – its credibility and the security of lives and property. The strength of any Nation rests on the character of its citizenry. Let’s think positively. Let’s reason as Nigerians and move forward as Nigeria.
Finally, all our desires answer by our votes. In this regard, I wish to echo the wise words of American political analyst, Larry J. Sabato that “Every election is determined by the people who show up.” Please go out on the election dates and vote. Our votes will speak out our hearts as to who we want.
Thank you and God bless us all.
-Being an address by Elder Patrick Albert, Chairman of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Akwa Ibom State Council on the occasion of the Non-Violence Campaign organised by the Methodist Young Men Fellowship at Immanuel Methodist Cathedral, 281-287 Oron Road, Uyo, Thursday, February 12, 2015.
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