By Rhoda Olorunfemi
The president, Nigerian Association of Woman Journalists (NAWOJ), Lagos state chapter, Hajia Sekinah Lawal, has called for all hands to be on the deck to ensure Journalists’ welfare and safety in Nigeria is guaranteed.
This call was made at the second interactive journalists round table, held at the International Press Centre (IPC), Ogba, Lagos, where “Advancing a Culture of Safety Journalists in Nigeria: The role of International Stakeholders” was discussed.
According to Lawal, “Nigerian Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Nigerian Guild of Editors, Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigerian (NPAN) and other media bodies have been visiting the National Assembly in Abuja in recent times to ensure the bill of journalists’ welfare is passed into law.
“Though we are still on it and lots has been done to ensure this bill is passed into law, including journalists’ regular salaries payment, and safety among other issues, but there have been delay one way or the other. Journalists’ safety cannot be effectively guaranteed if their welfare is not guaranteed,’’ Lawal said.
She also said as journalists salaries are not been paid, rich men, politicians or business organisations hire journalists to write reports which could be detrimental to the safety of journalists themselves. “This is not far fetched from the fact that such journalists have been paid to write a distorted fact about other people and victims in return come with security agents, thugs, armed robbers to assault such journalist, Lawal said.”
Meanwhile, Deputy Political Editor, Vanguard Media limited, Clifford Ndujihe, Who represented, Mr. Eze Anaba, Editor, Vanguard Newspaper, said, journalists should strive for balance in their reports.
According to him, “a journalist runs a risk when a report is been published in favour of one party at any given situation. All parties’ perspective must be reported to get a balanced report.”
Ndujihe also advised that editors in charge should always make effort to confirm a report before it’s been published.
Agreeing to the fact of non-payment of workers’ salaries owing up to 4-5 months, and in effort to meet both ends, a journalist may out of frustration paid to report story against another party, politician, business organisation, ethnic groups, etc which may affect journalist’s life or career.
He then suggested a series of trainings to be organized for journalists by various media houses to ensure accurate and proper investigative reports.
Mrs. Funke-Treausre Durodola, Managing Director, Radio Lagos 1, on her own part has called for constitutional backings for journalists, to avoid impunity against them while reporting.
She said most perpetrators now feel it is right to assault journalists because, according to Africa Freedom Expression (Afex.com) 37 journalists (2 females and 5 males) have been assaulted in Nigeria from April to Septembers 2016, which most cases still remain unresolved.
According to her, “Some journalists are murdered but few are investigated beginning from the time of Dele Giwa in 1986 till date. It becomes impunity when an attack launched on a journalist is not investigated and perpetrators are not brought to brook. Any failure to look into such crime is sending a signal that more will come. Perpetrators must not get away with such.”
Durodola also said, journalists should also get themselves acquainted with the Nigerian constitution in order to know the laws guiding them as individuals. It is fundamental for journalists to know their rights as citizens of Nigeria, such as rule of law, equity, and other various rights as stated by the constitution.
“Active demand to prosecute culprits is necessary. Though result could be slow but should be handful-We must hold government responsible if these rights are infringed by anybody.”
She also advised journalists to get institutional backings on their reports and this could be achieved when journalists inform his/her institution about the story to be investigated, in case of security alert. And also encourage news room mentoring as this would go a long way to help a journalist how to go about investigating a story.
During the interactive section, Funmi Falobi, a reporter from Social Development News (online medium), in response to Durodola’s suggestion on news room mentoring, said, most journalists especially crude ones are abandoned by organisations on their own, as most of them struggle to get their reports done, unless they approach senior colleagues.
Ayodele Sanusi, another journalist said, journalists should be provided with safety equipment. He suggested that safety equipment should be provided for journalist to help track their movement, keep their home safe and every other important thing to journalists.
Director, International Press Centre (IPC), Dr. Arogundade, responded that safety is a personal thing; any journalist who is embarking on any investigative story must be truthful and not mislead others.
Dignitaries at the event include Deputy Political Editor, Vanguard Media limited, Clifford Ndujihe who represented Editor, Vanguard Newspaper, Mr. Eze Anaba, Mrs. Funke-Treasure Durodola, Managing Director, Radio Lagos 1, Lanre Arogundade, Director, International Press Centre(IPC), J.J. Robinson, Program on Independent Journalism, Open Society Foundations and Edward Pittman, Programe on Independent Journalism, Open Society Foundations.
