By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
The Nigeria Union of Journalists , NUJ, FCT Chapter has called for a radical change in Nigeria’s Constitution which it says is characterized by Democracy bastardization, political hypocrisy , corruption, injustice, and lack of respect for the Rule of Law by both the government and the citizens.
The President of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists, NAWOJ, Comrade Ladi Bala said this today at the NUJ FCT Town Hall Meeting on Government and Citizen Participation held at the NUJ Council in Abuja.
Bala, a Speaker at the conversation commended the NUJ FCT Chapterfor initiating the discourse on democracy and citizens’ participation in governance, stressing that the conversation was critical as the nation looks forward to a new administration.
She emphasized that democracy in Nigeria has been bastardized because of the high rate of corruption, lack of Justice for citizens and jestitioning of the rule of Law by government and citizens.
Bala said, ” we need a radical change and re -orientation of our democratic values because there is a gap in our Constitution, adding that the responsibility of citizens to adherance to the rules or regulations of the society is also an important element in good governance for a peaceful society.
According to the NAWOJ President, democracy is collective governance as she noted that the just concluded elections in the country, was froth with errors after the INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu who assured Nigerians that Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS will be the game changer, but failed.
She said,” the corruption in our system is affecting our democracy and policies and it’s administration.”
She, however, advocated for a serious citizens education and consciousness from the grassroots on to how their leaders to help. guide their choice of candidates.
The Host of the Town Hall meeting, NUJ FCT Chairman, Comrade Emmanuel Ogbechi emphasized that for Democracy to thrive the media should continue to uphold it’s role as agenda setters for government to listen to the people and to respond to whatever agenda that is being set.
Ogbeche said, ‘We are in an evolving democracy, and we will continue to ensure government officials are accountable
and adhere to the agenda of citizens.
Speaking on media participation in democracy and governance, Ogbeche said that every journalist is a product or feature of our society and that journalists in Nigeria are not an exception.
He stressed, “what we continue to preach is that the ethics of journalism is your Bible is your Quran, but you must continue to adhere to the ethics because when you compromise you sell your soul to authority and that is not worth it.
The Key Speaker at the Town Hall meeting, Chairman of Editorial Board of Blueprint Newspaper, Hajiya Mariam Okiro said that the just concluded does general elections in the country does not inspire confidence in the policy or the policymakers.
She condemned INEC action in failing to adhere to the use of BVAS and RLA to upload immediately election results as promised by the Chairman.
Okiro urged Nigerians to begin to erase tribal and ethnicity inclinations while voting for leaders.
She noted that there is a gap between policymakers, policies
and implementers of those policies, adding that there is a serious need for adequate motivation of those who would implement of policies if democracy should work in Nigeria.
Daily Trust Newspaper Director of Production, Hamid Musa , emphasized the role of citizens and Civil Societies Organizations, CSOs, in the democracy and governance.
Hamid commended the latest democratic development with the spring up of citizens participation, adding that democracy is a collective governance with citizens participation.
Democracy is about citizens contribution to governance by forming CSOs to demand for accountability from the government .
He stated that Nigeria’s model of democracy permits citizens to contribute to governance by using the Freedom of Information, FOI, Act to hold government by their words on what is done for the people.
CSOs have a right to peaceful demonstrations and to write petitions against governors and public officers to hold them accountable on policies’ implementation.
