CAPPA Trains Journalists On Peaceful, Non- Violent Elections In Benúe 

…Says Media Must Hold Those In Leadership Positions Accountable 

From Attah Ede Makurdi 

A non-governmental organisation, Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa(CAPPA), on Wednesday, organized a two day capacity building training for journalists in Benue State, with a charge on them to tailor their reportage towards promoting peaceful and non-violent elections in Nigeria.

The training which was organized under the umbrella of the European Union Support for Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU EDGN), further exposed media practitioners in the State to the  rudiment of media coverage of the electoral process.

The executive director, CAPPA,  Akinbode Oluwafemi, who stated this while welcoming participants at the training, maintained that the media have a crucial role to play in fostering peace, during pre and post elections periods as critical stakeholders.

Oluwafemi, whose message and paper presentation was delivered by the CAPPA policy and research manager, Zikorah Ibeh, said there is need to  build the capacity of journalists to promote non biased reporting and become conversant with the nation’s electoral process.

The executive director, in his paper on “Expanding Nigeria’s Democracy and Civil Space: Journalists as Drivers for Sustainable Democracy, insisted that journalists have the ability to effectively use their pen to shape the economic situation of Nigeria and hold the government accountable to the people.

He acknowledged the role and contribution of the media towards the Nigeria independence and entrenchment of present democracy in Nigeria, saying that journalists remain critical stakeholders of the electoral process in the country.

Dr. Tunde Akanni, Associate Professor of Journalism at Lagos State University, who spoke  on  conflict sensitive  journalism: election and post election roles of the media, said that elections can be likened to wars as the period divides the society due to divergent political interests which in turns, triggered development. 

He painted a vivid picture of Nigeria’s historical struggles with conflicts, illustrating the necessity for intervention by both non-governmental and international organizations as well as the media in fostering peace and security.

Prof. Akanni therefore called on Media practitioners to be factual, accurate and always generate reports that could promote peace devoid of sensationalism.

In her presentation, the policy and legal drafting officer CAPPA, Shade Oyelade, educated participants on the details of the Electoral Act 2022, outlining clear guidelines for journalists reporting on elections matters. 

She said the media has  constitutional responsibility as enshrined in section 39(1), section 39(2) of the constitution as amended to make the public know about what is happening at all times and called on journalists to focus on promoting transparent and peaceful elections and also hold those in leadership positions accountable.

Other resource persons also presented papers on different topics, all geared towards sharing practical ideas for promoting peaceful and nonviolent elections through balanced news reporting.

Some of the participants who spoke during the training, thanked CAPPA for giving them the opportunity to participate in training, saying that they have gained more robust knowledge about Nigeria electoral process.

They said the training has further put them in better perspective towards coverage of elections and reporting issues that will promote peace in the State.