Journalists tasked on promoting effective citizenry participation in grassroots dev’t

By Stanley Onyekwere

In order to pave way for good governance at the grassroots level, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), has stressed the importance of an effective participatory of

Media practitioners have been enjoined to bolster effective citizenry participation in the democratic process especially at the grassroots level, in order to ensure sustainable and inclusive governance for rapid development.

This, the Mandate Secretary, FCTA Area Council Services Secretariat (ACSS), Ibrahim Abubakar Dantsoho,said could be realised through critical reporting of activities of the six Area Councils in the Territory.

Dantsoho this point, while presenting a paper on the role of FCT Administration, Residents and  the Media in holding the Area Council Chairmen accountable to service provision and infrastructure delivery, at the 2022 FCT Minister’s Press Corps Retreat, held at the weekend, in Bauchi State.

Represented by Director, ACSS Chieftaincy matters, 

Awwal Manu Dogon-Daji, the Secretary, noted that the media plays complementary role in governance, hence the need to not relent on discharging its constitutional role as the third eye of the society. 

“Democracy requires that people should have right to know the activities of government, especially the decision of government that affects their life, liberty and property.

He said: “Information is important for people to make choices regarding their participation in the state.Sufficient information helps people to decide rationally and take the right course of action beneficial to them. Media-both print and electronic, thus help to know what is happening around.

“Citizens and civil society engagement, to demand and promote good governance can improve by and large the viability of good governance and anti corruption programme because the success of democracy is impossible without participation of the people”.

According to him, the residents need to continually engage the Area Council Administrations for inclusiveness, commend where necessary and demand explanation when needed.

This, he said undoubtedly, will spur the Democratically Elected Chairmen to leave up to their responsibilities.

Similarly, the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to FCT Minister on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement, Comrade Ikharo Attah, who presented a paper at the retreat, urged media professionals to always be aware of the enormous power they possess, and use it for the good of the society.

He however, decried the poor participation in the democratic process by the citizens, resulting in the low demand for accountability.

According to him, there are several factors affect the ability of the media practitioners in the grassroot governance such as the mindset and ideology, media policies/house styles, time/space, workload, funding etc.

He added that Journalists should engage in budget tracking, to ensure  efficiency in governance, urging them to always be guard dogs rather being bark dogs.

Also speaking, representative of the Bauchi State Governor, his Special Adviser on Media, Comrade Muktar Gidado, noted that the media and government are strategic partners in the development of the society.

He also charged the Journalists to always be above board in utterances and conducts, in order to keep ensuring efficiency and accountability in the grassroots governance process.

Earlier, in his opening remarks, Chairman, FCT Minister’s Press Corps, Alh. Hudu Yakubu, reiterated the commitment of media practitioners especially those covering activities of the FCT and environs, commended the FCTA for making the retreat a consistent trend since 2016.

He expressed hope that the next minister will key into the initiative, which has gone far to deepen the relationship between the media and the government.