End Era Of Politicians Setting Agenda For You, IPC, CEMESO Urge Journalists

By Philip Tayo, Elizabeth Bamidele

Partners at a two-day workshop on Media Dialogue and Stakeholders’ Interface on Credible Ondo Governorship Election, the International Press Centre, IPC, headed by the Executive Director, Mr Lanre Arogundade and the Centre for Media and Society, CEMESO, also headed by Dr Akin Akingbulu in his capacity as Executive Director, speaking through one of the facilitators at the workshop, Dr Tunde Fajimbola have urged journalists in Ondo State and Nigeria at large to end the era when politicians are allowed to set agenda for them to project, rather, Fajimbola, a Senior Lecturer in the Department of International Relations at the Elizade University tasked journalists to take up the responsibilities of setting agenda for politicians and aspirants jostling for elective positions in the Country.

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The call was made during the two-day workshop held on Tuesday, 10th and Wednesday 11th, September, 2024. at Royal Birds Hotel & Towers, Alagbaka in Akure, the Ondo State capital.

The University Don strongly emphasized the need for journalists not to continue to depend or rely on the direction set for them by those holding political positions or contesting elective positions in the Country.

He charged journalists to take the task of interacting with the members of the public with the aim of getting their demands and requests, and reporting them, thereby drawing government’s attention to such needs for solutions to be provided.

Dr. Tunde Fajimbola’s address underscores the pivotal function of the media in democratic systems, emphasizing nine key aspects. Firstly, the media’s influence on the emergence and evolution of democracy is highlighted, followed by its role as custodian and protector of democratic principles. The media’s agenda-setting power, which guides political discourse, is also emphasized.

Additionally, he emphasized the significance of grassroots connection, credible reporting, issue-focused discussions, and audience engagement as essential components of the media’s role in democracy.

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Conversely, the media’s failure to perform these roles can result in the abandonment of agenda-setting responsibility, alignment with political class interests, promotion of selfish or sectional interests, and informed perspective abandonment. By embracing their role, the media can contribute to a healthy democracy and peaceful electoral processes, not only in Ondo State but also beyond.

Earlier, while giving his opening remarks at the two-day workshop, the Executive Director of the International Press Centre, IPC, Mr Lanre Arogundade counselled journalists to always endeavor to ask relevant and probing questions while going round to cover elections.

Arogundade stressed the importance of journalists to take cognizance of the provisions of Section 22 of the 1999 constitution which requires government at all levels to embrace accountability.

He however joined his voice to the call to journalists to start setting agenda for politicians and those holding elective positions in Ondo State and in the Country at large.

On his own part, the Executive Director of the Centre for Media and Society, CEMESO, Dr Akin Akingbulu, described election as a multi-stakeholder system that stands beyond just election monitoring or it’s management. He impressed it on journalists to always ask questions and seek clarifications and engage with the people in communities, towns, villages and the society in general on areas of difficulties confronting them.

On the part of the Resident Electoral Commissioner for the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in Ondo State, Mrs Toyin Babalola, who was a guest on the first day of the workshop, revealed that the Electoral body will deploy the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and INEC Result Viewing (IReV) during the November 16 governorship election in Ondo State.

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Babalola revealed that a total of over two million voters would vote in the off-circle election in the state and assured that they have made necessary arrangements to ensure there is a free and fair election in the State.

The Ondo REC Commissioner added that a total of 2,053,061 registered voters have been confirmed ahead of the November poll.

Buttressing the details provided by the Ondo REC, a Senior Officer of the Electoral body, Dr Temitope Akanmu pointed out that the electoral umpire will ensure the use of BVAS and IREV to aid the credibility of November poll.

Another facilitator at the workshop, Mr Taiwo Obe, the Director of Journalism Clinic enjoined journalists covering the November 16th Ondo State Governorship Election to always be creative in their reportage and use their brains to think in line with changes in the world. He also called on Media Practitioners to know that advertisers have moved from advertising to branding, which is now the idea in vogue.

He further urged Media professionals to adopt the social media platforms as a tool to engage the public with interview questions that would prompt readers to comment, which in turn will be used as stories.

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The representatives of the Ondo State Command of the Nigeria Police Force, SP Funmilayo Odunlami who is also the Police Public Relations Officer, and her counterpart from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, DSC Daniel Aidamenbor, while addressing the gathering pledged the readiness of their Security Agencies to provide adequate security before, during and after the November 16, 2024 Governorship election in Ondo State.

They also assured journalists that previous harassments of journalists during election period would be avoided and prevented in the coming election.

The State Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Comrade Leke Adegbite, commended IPC for its efforts in building journalists’ capacity through training. He acknowledged that the media dialogue came at the right time and assured the organizers that participants would strive to achieve the set goals.