Nation
Consultant Tasks Journalists On COVID-19 Budget Tracking
Public Finance Analyst and Consultant, Mr Kenneth Okoineme, has advised journalists covering health issues to track budgetary provisions on the Coronavirus (COVID-19) funds in the country.
Okoineme made the call in an interview with The Tide source on the sideline of a 3-day Annual Health Conference of Association of Nigeria Health Journalists (ANHEJ) at Goshen City, Nasarawa State.
Okoineme, a consultant with the International Society of Media in Public Health (ISMPH), however, rated health journalists high in the covering of COVID-19.
“The media have done well in the reportage of COVID-19. If not for the media, there would have been a lot of fake news and a lot of conspiracy theories.
“The media have been able to find its purpose in the whole situation, in trying to give balance and accuracy that reflect the reality on the ground.
“The media need to play a more significant role in terms of the reportage it puts out there. It has to deepen the nature of reports it puts out there.
“For example, the issue around mismanagement of COVID-19 funds.
“The media have a role to tell the people the truth. The media needs to deepen its reportage; it needs to do more of investigative reporting to help build our country again,’’ he said.
According to him, it is important that every kobo counts.
He said “This is where I call upon the international development partners, Civil Society Organisations to support journalists on budget tracking. It will help them to build the reign of accountability in country.’’
In addition, he said that COVID-19 had impacted on journalism, saying “COVID-19 distrusted a lot of things, the way news is reported, accessed and shared; what we have seen is full digitalisation of the media.
He said the pandemic had changed the way news is reported, is accessed and shared; what we have seen is full digitalisation of the media.
“Full digitisation and the use of big data and investigative reporting because the pandemic has taught us a lot of things on public finance management, accountability in public finance management.
“It has put journalists at the fore front of providing the kind of information that people need; that places more responsibility on the media.’’
Okoineme said why ISMPH was interested in budget tracking for journalists was to educate them on their role in tracking mismanagement of public finance.
“COVID-19 has changed the role media plays in terms of management of public finance and if we want to meet the target of eradicating several acute malnutrition; it is important to track budget.
“It is important that money that is budgeted for this purpose, serves the purpose in which it is budgeted for.
“The resource of government has declined because of COVID-19 and what it means is it that government has to prioritise and the resources available should be used more judiciously.
“The media plays an important role to ensure that accountability happens so they should take a closer look at the issue of financing in their reportage,’’ he said.
Okoineme, a resource person at the conference had earlier spoken on “Tracking and Utilisation of Nutrition Budget.’’
The conference which started last Friday ended yesterday with knowledge learnt on ways of deepening reportage in health sector, COVID-19 and reproductive health, among others.
The focus of the 4th Annual Health Conference of ANHEJ is on “COVID-19 Reportage Assessment.’’
Rivers state Deputy Governor Professor Ngozi Nma Odu has commended “The Port Harcourt City One Love,”a Port Harcourt based humanitarian orgnisation For it’s commitment towards alleviating the sufferings of the poor and vulnerable in the society.
Professor Ngozi Nma Odu said this while speaking at this year’s edition of “operation feed the needy” a yearly outreach program of “The Port Harcourt City One Love ” in Port Harcourt.
The Deputy Governor said by feeding more than sixty thousands hungry people within the past six years, the Port Harcourt City One Love Movement has distinguished itself as a club that cares for the less privilege in the society.
She commended the , organization for listing eleven thousand persons to be fed in the current exercise.
Meanwhile The Port Harcourt City One Love has planned a permanent solution to the problem of feeding the poor in the state.
The leader of the group Mr Idaere Gogo Ogan who said this in an interview with newsmen during the distribution of food items to the poor and vulnerables in Port Harcourt said the organization is planning a permanent food kitchen where poor and vulnerable persons can work in anytime and get fed.
Idaere Gogo Ogan said more than sixty thousands poor and vulnerable persons across Port Harcourt City and environs have been fed since the inception of “The operation feed the needy” program six years ago,adding that so far sixty thousands poor and vulnerable persons have beneffited.
He described the group as a platform to promote friendship, brotherhood, community development empathy and feeding the less privilege and hungry people
“That’s what we are doing today here,so we started the exercise six years ago”.he said.
Ogan said the effort was a private sector driven initiative but added “it also involves people in Government because the platform does not recognize any division,we bring everybody together in unity , friendship and brotherhood”he said.
He said the effort will go along way in alleviating hunger especially following the prevailing hunger in the country.
According to him “you know the country is very tough, people are hungry people are starving, there is a whole lot of economic hardship,so for us, this is just our own way of reaching out, our own social contribution to what is very difficult”he said.
Over eleven thousand persons were fed in the just concluded exercise.
Areas of coverage include, Isaac Boro park, Port Harcourt prison/Macoba, Borokiri/Enugu waterside Bundu areas Waterlines and others.
Some of the beneficiaries including an 80 years old widow commended the movement for the annual programm and urged other organizations to emulate them
John Bibor,/Esuuk Oyet/Suotor Memoye /Jeremiah Hannah
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