That there is a yawning gap in trust between Nigerian citizens and the government is common knowledge. Many people see those in authority as being selfish and unfair to the generality of the people. They see an ulterior motive behind any government policy and programme.
This trust-deficit apparently stems from how government at various levels has been run over the years. Ours is a country where those in authority constantly tell us one thing and do the opposite; where the information dished out by the leaders is far from the realities on ground. We have been told, time without number, that Boko Haram terrorist group has been defeated, yet there are still reports of the group causing mayhem in the country. During the Covid-19 lockdown last year, billions of naira was said to have been used by the federal government on palliatives, including feeding school children who were not then in schools, yet there was little or nothing to show for it. The list goes on and on.
Worrisomely, this culture of mistrust has degenerated to the level where even bills by the National Assembly meant to better the society are viewed with some skepticism or outrightly condemned. A typical example is the Nigeria Press Council Amendment Bill 2019 currently before the lower chamber of the National Assembly. The private member bill, sponsored by Mr. Francis Agbo which has been slated for second reading, seeks to raise the qualification for journalism practice in Nigeria, making it compulsory for practitioners to have degrees or diplomas in media-related courses.
The bill particularly seeks to amend Sections 19 (1) (a), 19 (1) (b), 21 (5) (a), 21 (5) (b) and 35 of the Nigerian Press Council Act Cap N128 LFN 2004. When amended, the new law will provide that “only a person who has a first degree, Higher National Diploma in Journalism, Media Art or Communication, or postgraduate certificate shall practice as a journalist.” It would also increase the punishment and fine for untrained and fake journalists.
A grace period of five years is, however, given to graduates of other fields already working as journalists to obtain a post graduate diploma in journalism.
As a practising journalist for many years, and having seen the effects of quackery on the profession, I make bold to say that journalists should be happy that a law is being proposed to add respect and value to our noble profession. It’s high time we raised the bar in journalism practice in the country. The days of making it an all-comers affair where every Dick, Tom and Harry dabbles into without the prerequisite training should be over.
Of course, with the invention of the New Media, everybody is now involved in citizen journalism. On our timeline we post all manner of things. People now reveal things happening around, including uncovering corruption and other ills in the society.  We are at liberty to do that without any training and unhindered even though the consequences on society are sometimes huge. But when it comes to conventional journalism, professionalism should be the watchword. Yes, you may be naturally blessed with oratory, you have got amazing writing skills or you may have the best degree result from other fields but you must meet the requirement to be registered as a journalist. That way, you can be respected as a true professional.
The issue of unprofessionalism in the teaching profession started getting enough attention with the establishment of the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria which sees to it that for anybody to qualify as a teacher, he must have at least the minimum teaching qualification. Doctors and dentists have the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria which regulates their practices and conducts exams for doctors and dentists before they are certified to practice. The same goes with lawyers, nurses and midwives, librarians, surveyors and other professionals. The question then is, if all these professions are regulated, why not journalism?
The proposed amendment is basically saying yes, the Press Council has been there for decades holding journalists to high and ethical standards, now let us widen its scope and give it the legal backing to also play the role of ensuring that practising journalists possess the requisite knowledge.
We all know that journalism has a lot to contribute to national development, security, unity and peace in the country. A single wrong information is capable of setting the entire nation on fire especially in this our tension-soaked country. If the cliché, “the pen is mightier than the sword” is anything to go buy, then the pen should be held by people with requisite knowledge and skills.
So the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Projects (SERAP) which has threatened to take a legal action against the National Assembly if the bill is not dropped on account of the educational qualification to be a member of the legislative body and to become a president being a School Certificate, should have a rethink. There is nothing discriminatory about the bill rather it is championing the cause of standard journalism practice in the country. However, nothing stops SERAP from demanding for higher educational qualification for lawmakers and other politicians if they consider that a problem.
Similarly, those claiming that the motive behind the sponsorship of the bill is for the government to gag the media or hinder freedom of expression in the country should reconsider their stand as true professionalism in journalism will reduce the rate of misinformation we have in our society among other benefits.
It is, therefore, expected that the Nigeria Union of Journalists, the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists, the Guild of Editors, and the Sport Writers Association of Nigeria should support this all-important bill and follow through all the stages of its passage into law.
It is always said that to whom much is given, much is expected. Therefore, it is expected that if eventually the bill sails through, the Nigeria Press Council should ensure that it lives up to its responsibility. The story of exam malpractice, certificate buying, bribery and corruption, poor quality and the likes should no longer be associated with the Nigeria Institute of Journalism. Some people have claimed that with the advent of the social media, journalism will soon go extinct but before that happens, let us take all steps necessary to ensure high moral, ethical and professional standards in our honourable profession at all times.

Calista Ezeaku