By Oluwatomisin Amokeoja
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has assured journalists of their safety while covering the Edo and Ondo elections coming up on September 19 and October 10 respectively.
The Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, Mr. Rotimi Oyekanmi,Oyekanmi, gave the assurance at a webinar on Edo/Ondo elections themed “The imperative of safety consciousness and conflict sensitivity in media coverage and reportage” organized by the International Press Centre (IPC) and Association of Communication Scholars and Professionals of Nigeria (ACSPN).
He said the Commission has taken care of grey areas that are of major concern to journalists during election coverage and urged them to be fair and objective in their reporting.
“We don’t expect any problem. We expect fairness and objectivity in the reportage of activities because it will have an effect in the operations of the Commission and on the conduct of elections,” Oyekanmi said.
In his opening remarks, President, ACSPN and Dean, School of Postgraduate Studies, Bayero University, Kano (BUK), Prof. Umaru Pate expressed the Association’s desire for peaceful outcomes of the elections and the belief that journalists will “behave responsibly, professionally and not create conflicts.”
On his part, Executive Director, IPC, Mr. Lanre Arogundade, during the welcome address explained that the webinar is part of the Centre’s collaborative effort with stakeholders at capacity building of journalists which will continue till the post-election stages.
Arogundade urged the journalists to stick to Electoral Act 2010, National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) Code and take advantage of the manual titled “COVID-19 Pandemic Reporting: A Safety and Professional Advisory for Journalists” available on all the IPC’s platforms.
Executive Director, International Media Society (IMS), Dr. Akin Akingbulu, in his goodwill remarks, urged journalists to demonstrate utmost sensitivity to issues and navigate with professional tools throughout the stages of the elections.
Among the lead speakers at the event was Programme Officer (Journalists Safety), IPC, Mrs. Melody Akinjiyan-Lawal, who, in her presentation “Situational Scan on Journalists Safety Issues in Nigeria: What Journalists in Edo/Ondo Should Know”, advised journalists to shun partisanship, move in groups and alert relevant bodies when in danger when covering the elections.
A medical officer at Caleb University, Dr. Clinton Okonye who spoke on “Elections Coverage under COVID-19 Rules: Addressing Issues of Personal Safety” urged journalists while covering the elections to follow health protocols strictly maintaining that “we are the change, we are the cure.”
Dr. Ruqayyah Aliyu of the Faculty of Communication, BUK, in her contribution on “Electoral Conflict and Media Coverage: The Need for Conflict Sensitive Reporting in Edo/Ondo Elections” noted that the media is a key actor in curtailing violent election conflicts at any stage of the electioneering period.
She said: ‘The mass media must live up to its statutory and social responsibilities by upholding to ethics and professionalism.”
The webinar with about 90 participants was moderated by a Board Member, IPC and former Assistant Director (Programme), Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Mrs. Funke-Treasure Durodola
Senior Programme Manager, IPC, Mr. Sanmi Falobi in the closing remarks, sought for more collaborations with stakeholders on capacity building and cooperation across the board.
The webinar was in furtherance of the objectives of Component 4b which is support to media of the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN) but does not reflect the views of the European Union.
