BY BUKOLA BARDI
Ahead of the November 16 Governorship election in Ondo state, the International Press Centre, IPC has engaged journalists on achieving a credible poll through issue based reportage of the electoral process, using accurate information.
The two-day engagement tagged “MEDIA DIALOGUE AND STAKEHOLDERS INTERFACE ON CREDIBLE ONDO GOVERNORSHIP ELECTION” had participants drawn from the broadcast, Print and Online media and was carried out with funding support from the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria Project II.
During the event, facilitators engaged journalists in robust discussions which centred on fact checking of reports before dissemination, setting agenda for politicians and exploring innovative approaches to enhance the credibility of the forthcoming governorship election in Ondo State.
Welcoming participants on the first day media engagement, the Executive Director of IPC, Mr Lanre Arogundade explained that the media dialogue was aimed at reminding critical stakeholders in the forthcoming election, especially journalists of the need to perform their roles and responsibilities in the electoral process effectively to enhance the credibility of the all important November 16 governorship poll.
Mr Arogundade hinted that the forum was also to explore ways to improve access to electoral information for citizens, discuss the media role in educating voters about their rights and responsibilities and at the same time look into ensuring the safety and protection of journalists during elections.
Mr Arogundade charged participants to actively engage, share experiences, and foster collaboration in the bid to be ethical and professional in disseminating accurate information regarding process leading to the forthcoming governorship election.
In a remark, the Executive director, Centre for Media and Society, CEMESO, Dr Akin Akingbulu described the media as a core stakeholder in the electoral process hence the gathering which was expected to beam its searchlight on the issues concerning the guber poll with a view to making it credible.
The Chairman, Ondo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Prince LEKE Adegbite commended the IPC and CEMESO for building the capacity of journalists to meet up with the emerging issues in the electoral process.
Leading the sessions was a Senior Lecturer at Elizade University, Ilara Mokin, Ondo State, Dr Tunde Fajimbola who took journalists through the concepts of politics said they played a crucial role in any election and would be expected to contribute immensely to the success of the coming election.
Another resource person, Mr Taiwo Obe emphasized the need for journalists to embrace new technologies in telling impactful stories about the coming election before, during and after the poll.
At the end of the media engagement, two participants, Mrs Taye Fagbuyi and Mr Temitope Adedeji said the media dialogue facilitated by the IPC and CEMESO reminded them the need to be more alive to their responsibilities before, during and after the governorship election.
During the two-day engagement, Other stakeholders which included, INEC, NOA, The Nigeria Police NSCDC unveiled their plans and level of preparedness for the poll.
The Ondo state Inec Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola announced that the state had 2,053,061 registered voters for the coming election while 298, 572 permanent voter cards were yet to be collected, assuring eligible voters of a hitch free election. Mrs Babalola said all BVAS that would be deployed for the poll had been adequately charged and ready for activation at the appropriate time.
The Police public relations officer in Ondo state, Mrs Funmilayo Odunlami-Omisanya and his counterpart from the NSCDC, Daniel Aidamebor promised that the security agencies would not fail in providing protection for all stakeholders including journalists on the day of election but sought their cooperation in achieving a smooth process.
Representative of the National Orientation Agency NOA in Ondo state, an Assistant Director, Mr Wale Obanigba while submitting that the agency was a major stakeholder in an election process said sensitisation of eligible voters as to their responsibility before,during and after the election was already going on in all the eighteen local government areas of Ondo state, saying that the exercise would continue till the week of Election.