ECOWAS Commission Fetes Journalists In PH

The Economic Community for West African States (ECOWAS) Commission feted journalists and other stakeholders in the South -South region in Port Harcourt for two days schooling them on how to support a smooth and violent-free elections next year.
The two-day workshop tagged,” Enhancing Media and Political Parties Roles in Promoting Good Participatory Processes” was aimed at arming media professionals ahead of the general elections in 2023.
Director Political Affairs, ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Remi Ajibewa said the workshop was organised in line with the body’s objectives in advancing democracies among member- nations.
The ECOWAS Commission Director of Political Affairs stated that the commission is working to deepen democratic culture in member countries through stakeholder engagement.
One area of concern for the ECOWAS he stated is the media, which plays key role in driving democracy and educating the people, hence they need to be empowered to perform their functions effectively as 2023 election draw near.
Ajibewa pointed out that without effective media engagement, public awareness will be poor, and that issues that engender peace and stability will be swept under the carpet.
He identified the media as a vehicle of national cohesion, while frowning at divisive factors such as hate speech and fake news that always become common place during elections, reasoning that only the media can check such malaise.
Nonetheless, he emphasised that when journalists are trained, they become efficient and help balance public opinion and issues of information that may hamper free and fair elections capable of affecting people’s choice in participating and choosing the right leaders.
He assured that after the training journalists will have fresh perspective on how to go about their duties enlightening the public, and thus become advocates of issues that are germane in conducting peaceful and fair elections.
Ajibewa also urged stakeholder to make sure they advocate for peace, tolerance in the media space, as this can help improve the country’s democratic process.
While delivering her keynote address, National Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Mrs. May Agbamuche-Mbu through the Head of Department, Voter Education and Publicity in Rivers State said what the commission has put in place so far will make the election much better than previous elections.
Agbamuche, who cited various sections of the new electoral law noted that Section 29 provides 180, as against 60 days as obtained before window for parties to change candidates. This novelty, she submitted reduces the legal fireworks that trail presentation of candidates by the various parties.
Also, she said that the new electoral law provides that a political office holder must resign his or her assignment in Section 82 and this new law signed by President Buhari, she noted, has made many public office holders not to contest the election next year.
The biggest and most impressive milestone of INEC, according to her, is the Bimodal Voting Accreditation System (BVAS) which reduces incident forms and manipulation. The BVAS, she explained, is coded in such a way that multiple voting and impersonation is reduced to the barest minimum.
While presenting his paper on, “Introspective Review of the Media and the 2019 General Elections in Nigeria: Challenges, Lessons Learnt and Opportunities for 2023 Elections”, Chairman of the Abuja Council of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Emmanuel Ogbeche, praised INEC for most of the innovations ahead 2023 elections.
Ogbeche affirmed that so far what is in place will help build public confidence in the electoral process, as against what happened in 2019 elections.
The Abuja NUJ Chairman described the media as indispensable in building democratic culture, but however stressed that there is need for a new orientation among journalists, recalling that issues that cover security and safety of journalists must be properly addressed so they can do their work without fear.
Two paper presenters from Ghana, Mr. Kweku Asante of Media Foundation for West Africa and Bernard Mormah, Chairman of Political Party, Human Rights Advocate and Citizens shared their experiences with the participants.
Asante advised journalists to avoid reporting issues that promote violence and division, by avoiding hate speech, abusive and ethnic superiority considering Nigeria’s multi ethnic situation.
For Mormah, the 2013 elections is coming with lots of surprises, hence parties and stakeholders need to attune to the new realities of media visibility, voters sensitisation and education, as he added, “if Nigeria gets it right this time, then Africa can get it right.”

By: Kevin Nengia