A non-governmental organisation (NGO) under the auspices of Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has tasked journalists to use their report to douse tension in the country ahead of the forthcoming general election.
CAPPA executive director, Akinbode Oluwafemi, made the call in Kaduna at a media roundtable forum on peaceful and non-violent elections.
Oluwafemi said, “There is extremely high tension in the land over the election. I witnessed the Shagari/ Awolowo election. There is never a time the country has been at edge like this time. We are in a time that is extremely very difficult to make comments about elections because it could be interpreted or misread otherwise.
“There is fuel scarcity and the available ones are sold at high prices after many hours on the queue. We need to calm down the tension because the job at hand needs national peace.
“A few days before the election we are still trying to see how we can get cash. In villages people cannot assess cash. The tension is too high so we need to do our work to calm down the tension at this critical period of our national life.
“As journalists we should be able to promote rural development and draw the attention of leaders in that direction. We need a leader who can serve the interests of the people across the country, not necessarily your ethnic or candidate of your faith.”
CAPPA director of programmes, Philip Jakpor who spoke on “The Role of the Media as Society’s Watchdog,” urged Journalists to focus on issues, consider national security and target what the ordinary people want.
“Government wants journalists to report only progress; politicians expect journalists to polish their image and paint their opponents in a bad light. So, journalists are like the beautiful brides, all suitors are trying to woo. But journalists must be critical and refuse to be used.
“The voices of ordinary people should be heard because they bear the brunt of the impact of government decisions and suffer most from deprivation arising from public expenditure priorities etc. They make up the largest sector of population. Do not stay on the fence if the issue will affect the stability of the state,” he said.
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