The Vision Centre for Communication and Development Advocacy (VICCDA) has tasked the media to channel more energy to investigative reporting as a means to not only pre-empting terrorism and banditry but also playing their oversight roles on state actors.
Penpushing reports this was the submission of the body in a communiqué issued at the end of a one-day roundtable on The Media and Security Challenges: The Way Forward’, which discussed the issue and proffer solutions to them.
The meeting which drew the participation of top media professionals and some members of the civil society also urged the media to strive more to create awareness with a view to preventing conflicts.
‘While believing that free, independent and pluralistic media provide a platform for debate and different opinions, Media is cautioned against being misused for propaganda purposes, to incite hatred and spread rumours, thereby artificially creating tensions’, the body emphasised
. Penpushing further reports that the centre pointed out that,it is believed that finding a balance between preventing harm caused by hate speeches in particular and protecting individual expression is a challenge.
The communiqué said, though important especially in conflict situations, but cautioned that journalists have to stay clear of judgmental representations and should describe reality without embellishment.
Penpushing also reports that, participants suggested that for the promotion of quality conscience journalism, journalists on assignment in crises areas must source their information from the local populace.
‘Good journalism also requires that journalists while working to de escalate tension in conflict situations, should ensure a concrete assessment of the situation by avoiding biases. Media professionals must be truthful and should verify all information’.
The centre noted with concern the increasing rate of how some media professionals continue to glorify certain emergency heroes and ethnic champions whose stock in trade is to promote primordial interests to the detriment of the corporate existence of the nation.
‘While underscoring the significance of the media as an effective and integral tool for solving the problem of security challenges in the country, the forum however, warns that lack of information can, at any stage of a conflict, make people desperate, restless and easy to manipulate’
Penpushing further reports that, the group frowned at the mode of reportage of certain security challenges ravaging the country and analyses that tend to glorify the insurgents by portraying their tactics and strategies as superior to those of the military.
The communiqué stated that,these if not properly curtailed will continue to cause fear and insecurity in the minds of the citizens, and to this end, journalists are enjoined to change the narrative by engaging in soul searching among media professionals.
‘Media Unions and Associations like the NUJ, NGE, NPAN and BON should reach out to the Nigerian Armed Forces with a view to engaging them in the fight against terrorism and other forms of violence in the country’, the communiqué added.
The forum believes that the war against terror is everybody’s war and thus there should be adequate synergy between the military, media and other stakeholders,stressing that to ensure that salaries of media professionals are paid at as when due, media establishments that are not strong enough to sustain their operations should be encouraged to diversify to enable them perform optimally, adding that,this will promote excellence in journalism practice.
‘ VICCDA and other stakeholders should work assiduously towards partnering with media organisations in building capacity of journalists to effectively bring to the fore humanitarian situations in the affected regions fairly, honestly, courageously and constructively’.
Penpushing also reports that the forum acknowledged the fact that the fight against terrorism and banditry are most daunting and challenging tasks, but expressed the belief that with political will and commitment by the leaders in creating an enabling environment for independent and free press to thrive, the media could influence the right attitude by most Nigerians and this will ensure that conflicts are minimized.
‘Participants align with concerned individuals, bodies and institutions on the lack of adequate attention on the plight of the regions affected by insecurity on the national and international media landscapes’.
‘The forum stresses the need for the media to do more at providing better understanding of this complex and fluid scene of insecurity to collectively create a measure of order and security in the affected regions and the country at large’.
‘Accordingly, media professionals are charged to provide early warning systems in these areas and also to write stories of resilience of these local communities in their quest to contribute to the fight against insecurity’.
‘ While stakeholders commend the various efforts of security agencies in stemming activities of gunmen in the country, they scorn at the poor response in aborting many incidents that lead to several abductions and to certain extent loss of lives and properties’.
‘In spite of this however, the situation calls for caution and the need to support the government to do more in finding lasting solutions to the intractable problems, and to warn against making any capital out of it. It is a moment for united action to defeat terror and not to do anything that could embolden the perpetrators’.
‘Government is encouraged to listen to voices of reason that provide alternative options in dealing with the devastating situation and to be accommodative in dealing with the anger and frustration of the citizens’.
The meeting noted with regret that despite several official reassurances of responsiveness in rising to the occasion, the state of insecurity is being heightened by the day, thus bringing infamy to the country.
‘It is also a matter of concern to participants that banditry is fast becoming part of the daily life of the populations, giving the country the notoriety of being one of the members of club of 10 top kidnapping countries in the world and a leading one in Africa’.
Penpushing reports that, the group pointed out that, credible sources showed that the violence has affected about 21 million people in the country and more than 40,000 deaths have been recorded between 2011 and February, 2021.
The centre lamented that 210,000 people have been internally displaced with more than 35,000 refugees crossing the borders to Niger Republic, adding that, the situation may sadly worsen as the global pandemic, coronavirus continues to ravage the world.
‘ In addition to displacement, insecurity has hampered agricultural activities and heightened the risk of acute food uncertainty in the country. Livelihoods have been disrupted; fear and insecurity among the population have increased, with IDPs and host communities competing for scarce resources such as water, land and food’.
‘This also has heightened protection concerns for the vulnerable- women, children and the elderly, while security, food and water sanitation and hygiene have become priority needs in the affected areas’.
‘It is worth noting that the effects of this on Nigeria’s sustainable development in the light of public safety, capital and investment flights as well as its negative consequences on trade, tourism and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is enormous’.
‘ While appreciating the fact that national politics can form an important framework in the fight against insecurity, stakeholders call on Nigerians to unite to defeat terror rather than doing anything that could promote it’.
The forum in this connection however, advised government not to allow the public to lose confidence in its ability to deal with the situation through unabated spates of attacks on civilian populations.
The participants resolved that government should adopt new approaches that will address the specific political, economic, and social challenges that encourage banditry or terrorism in general, and the potential solutions that reduce them as the most reliable way forward.
The event was attended by media professionals including the National President,Nigeria Union of Journalists(NUJ) Chris Isiguzo, National President,National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Ladi Bala, Mr. Olusegun Adeniyi(former spokesperson to late president Umar Yar’adua), Executive Director News, Nigerian Television Authority(NTA), Muhammad Labbo, Press Secretary to the First Lady, Aisha Buhari, Sulaiman Haruna, Managing Editor, the Nation Newspapers, Yusuf Alli, Director News, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria(FRCN), Sani Sulaiman, Media Trust, Ahmed Shekarau and others.
Penpushing reports that, the four page communiqué was issued and jointly signed by Gbenga Onayiga(Acting Chairman Vision Center for Communication and Development Advocacy and Adamu Ladan(Executive Director Vision Center for Communication and Development Advocacy)
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