By REPORTERS
KADUNA- Stakeholders in the Information and Communication sector in Northwest have cautioned against heating the polity, admonishing media organisations and Journalists to display the highest sense of responsibility.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the advice is coming as political campaign activities continues, preparatory to the conduct of general elections scheduled to commence from February next year.
The stakeholders, who spoke to NAN in Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Sokoto and Kebbi states said the media had a role to play in ensuring peaceful and violence-free conduct of political campaigns across the country.
They said the Media could play an important role in stabilising the polity by de-emphasising provocative comments from politicians capable of triggering violence.
Alhaji Zubair Galadima, Kaduna State Director of National Orientation Agency (NOA) urged media organisations to be mindful of any reportage that would heat up the system.
“They should ensure they do not inflame passion, are neutral, non-partisan and uphold professional ethics.
” The media practitioners will do a lot of good by downplaying those issues that will ignite violence, and by not allowing themselves to be used to score cheap political interests”, he admonished.
According to him, most people believe almost everything they see or hear in the media, as such the use of simple language with no ambiguity should be applied in reporting.
Muhammad Yaba, a Journalist in Kaduna, said a reporter was supposed to be the first gatekeeper of news , as such should not give prominence to inciting statements.
He explained that although some media organisations were after sensational news that sold, it was better to discard provocative statement by politicians which could cause violence.
” The bigger responsibility lies on the politicians who are the key players when it comes to making such unguided statement; they are interested in attacking personality instead of talking about issues,” he said.
He therefore urged media regulatory agencies, especially the National Broadcasting Commission, to keep close watch over electronic media organisations , being the most sensitive of media establishments.
He also called for the regulation of social media outlets, adding that such outlets could be used by unscrupulous politicians to incite violence.
Malam Ibrahim Yusuf, a politician in Kaduna, said campaigns should be issue-based, not attack on personality, adding that Journalists should be living up to their responsibilities by rejecting inciting utterances to avoid violence.
On their part, stakeholders in Kebbi called on media organisations to always put national interest above personal or organisational interest, adding that the 2023 general elections would be the toughest in the political history of the country.
One of the respondents who is also the Secretary to Kebbi State Government, Alhaji Babale Yauri, advised media organisations to avoid sensational stories.
He said that media organisations were all aware of the security situation in the country and the dangers of biased reports.
“You must endeavour to be careful in your reports so as not to aggravate the already fragile situation; we are faced with economic and political challenges which enemies of the country could capitalise on to destabilise the nation.
“Of more serious concern is the challenge to national unity, and this calls for caution on the part of media organisations and all stakeholders”, he cautioned.
Yauri said government was not unaware of the critical role of the press in ensuring credible and fair elections through well balanced reports.
“This informed the convening of different workshops and training sessions for media practitioners in the state, to equip them with necessary information on the roles expected of them”, he added.
On his part, former Permanent Secretary, Kebbi State Ministry of Information and Culture, Alhaji Garba Hamisu,, said that media practitioners should be trained and sensitised to enable them play their role appropriately and devoid of conflicting interests.
On his part, the Chairman of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Kebbi, Alhaji Hamza Galadima, called on Journalists to contribute to fair, transparent and peaceful process as part of their role in the promotion of democracy and respect for pluralism.
“In Kebbi State, we have conducted workshops and trainings for members of NUJ in various media organisations on how they could contribute to ensure free, fair and violence-free elections in the 2023,” he said.
Also, Alhaji Lawal Saidu, publisher of an online media organisation in Katsina, urged media practitioners to be fair in their reportage, advising them to desist from publishing issues that could cause violence among people or groups.
In his input, Chairman of NUJ, Katsina State Council, Alhaji Tukur Dan-Ali, admonished Journalists to uphold the ethnics of their profession.
Dan- Ali urged media organisations to desist from harping on issues that could cause crises, but rather focus on matters that promote peace and unity in the country.
Malam Aliyu Ibrahim, a Political Scientist in Sokoto, said the manner of reportage of political activities was a key determinant of democratic sustainability in the society.
Ibrahim told NAN that the input of reporters could determine, whether or not, campaigns, elections and transition, would be peaceful.
“It is, therefore, necessary for those in control of media organisations to ensure that all elements that could trigger violence or encourage thuggery, are avoided”, he advised.
On his part, Malam Isa Abubakar, the Director, New Media, Sokoto State Ministry of Information, said monitoring reports of media organisations on political activities was mandatory, not optional.
He said avoiding reportage of violence and thuggery would support our country’s security architecture and ensure sustainability in our democracy.
Also speaking, Malam Ismail Umar, a Journalist, said media organisations must be wary of desperate politicians that would want to use the media for selfish purposes.
In Kano, Chairman of NUJ in the state, MrAbbas Ibrahim, urged journalists to be conversant with the electoral laws in the discharge of their duties before, during and after elections.
“We have only one country and no Journalist should be used as agent of destruction by politicians”, he admonished.
A Security Operative, Mr Sa’ad Lawan, also advised journalists to avoid focusing on hate-speech, but tasked them on enlightening Nigerians on the dangers of thuggery and electoral violence.
Lawan, a retired Police Officer, further advised journalists to exhibit high degree of fairness in the coverage of the 2023 general elections, regardless of the situation.
He also urged political parties, their candidates and supporters, to go about their political campaigns in an atmosphere of peace and tranquillity, to promote democracy.
An aide to Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State and APC Chieftain, Mr Abubakar Ibrahim, said the Media an had important role to play in curbing political violence in the state and country as a whole.
Ibrahim warned politicians to desist from using slogans tainted with abuses and hate in their campaigns.
Furthermore, the Chieftain advised youths to shun violence and resist the ploy by dubious politicians to use them to perpetrate violence during elections.(NAN)
