ABUJA – Mr Goddy Ikeh, Lead Consultant of Forthworth Communications Agency, has urged the media, politicians and other stakeholders in the country to educate the public on the recent amendments to the 1999 Constitution.
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Ikeh made the call at a one day workshop on Media Advocacy Strategy on Monday in Abuja.
The workshop, which focused on achieving presidential assent to Constitution Amendment, was organized by Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), a Non-Governmental Organisation.
Ike, who is a former Deputy Editor- in-Chief, News Agency of Nigeria, explained that the primary role of the media was to create awareness on what the Constitution entailed.
He said that the media known as avenues where ideas were bounced around and exchanged also needed to clearly understand the issues at stake.
He urged the media to do more on awareness and publicity on some of the alterations or amendments in the Constitution and highlight the benefits to the public.
He listed some of the issues focused on in the amendment of the Constitution as legislative powers such as power, bills, financial autonomy and right of attendance.
Others, according to him, are spending from consolidated revenue fund for office of Auditor General, Attorney General, security agencies, police, revenue mobilization, allocation and fiscal commission.
“Life pension for top officers of the legislature, boundary adjustment, process of registered voters of local government areas, mode of altering constitution, dispensing with presidential assents are the other issues.
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“They also include residency, citizenship and indigene rights, right to freedom, right to health, right to education, independent candidacy, registration of political parties,’’ he said.
Ikeh, therefore, urged all stakeholders to explain the amended Constitution and its benefits to the people as the society should be educated for nation building and sustainable development. (NAN)
