Emmanuel Ifeanyi 
Media practitioners in Abia State and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) have made a strong call for collaboration to enhance the quest for accountability and transparency in governance in the state.
New Telegraph reports that both the media and the CSOs stressed that the domestication of key legislative frameworks will serve as a veritable panacea to their full compliance and enforcement at the state levels, especially in Abia.
The calls were made during a one-day media roundtable in support of civil society advocacy for strengthening the implementation and observation of the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA), Public Procurement Act (PPA) and Freedom of Information Act (FOI) as key legislative frameworks.
New Telegraph reports that the roundtable was convened by the Africa Centre for Human Advancement and Resource Support (CHARS-Africa), in conjunction with the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC).
At the roundtable, media practitioners from the print, broadcast and social media outfits based in Aba were brought together and dwelt extensively on how to effectively use the above three legislative frameworks in enhancing accountability and transparency in governance at the state level.
At the end of the roundtable, a communique signed by Amaka Biachi, Executive Director CHARS-Africa and Okoye Chuka, Programme Officer, who are the organizers of the workshop, participants urged Abia government to take urgent steps to domesticate the FOI, FRA, and PPA to enhance accessibility and enforceability.
The participants particularly called for the reform of PPA, to incorporate inputs from key stakeholders, to align its provisions with the aspirations and interests of Abia residents.
The participants called for the independence of media practitioners, and adequate training on how to effectively apply the existing legislative frameworks to promote good governance practices
“Media professionals should be made to undergo periodic training to expose them to these existing legislative frameworks, and how to put them to practical use.
“Also, they should be encouraged to promote ethical journalism, as journalists are supposed to uphold accuracy objectivity and balanced reporting based on facts in their line of engagement.”
The participants emphasized the need for enhanced legal and financial protection for working journalists to shield them from intimidation and assist them in the discharge of their duties without fear or favour.
Similarly, the forum called for the training of government and other public officials on how to comply with provisions of the relevant legislative frameworks, particularly granting access to information on public interest.
In the same vein, the participants called on the citizenry to be more actively involved in monitoring government activities at all levels, to promote the culture of accountability and transparency in governance.
New Telegraph reports that earlier, participants had identified lack of access to information as one of the greatest factors militating against the abilities of the media to hold government officials into account.
They noted that the deliberate denial of access to information by lawmakers and public servants, which they noted limited the application of the legislative frameworks by journalists, hinders accurate reportage and, by extension, public knowledge of the tools.
Participants said that attempts to suppress media freedom through control over media unions and subtle censorship are restricting journalists’ abilities to report objectively.
The forum explained that some media practitioners lack adequate awareness and understanding of such legislative frameworks as the FOIA, PPA and FRA, which also limit their ability to put the frameworks into effective use.
The participants decried the high level of secrecy in government, with officials unwilling to disclose information even when requested in accordance with the extant laws.
They also regretted the negative impacts of weak institutional support for working journalists, as the absence of legal and financial backing has exposed practitioners to undue pressure, censorship, economic constraints and other professional hazards.
However, participants reaffirmed their commitments towards discharging the crucial roles of the media in promoting good governance.
They called for sustained engagement through advocacy and training, to ensure that the application of the legislative frameworks in promoting transparency and accountability in Abia state becomes a norm.
