The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership (CACOL) has urged stakeholders to set an agenda for political candidates in the area of anti-corruption and social inclusion.
It also reiterated the need for the political class to create an inclusive atmosphere ahead of next year’s general elections.
CACOL made the call in Lagos at its one-day capacity-building workshop organised in collaboration with Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) with the support of the Macarthur Foundation.
Themed ‘Corruption, Election and the Troubled Democracy: The Role of the Media and CSOs for members of Civil Society Groups and the Media, the workshop aimed at boosting the capacity of civil society organisations (CSOs), media executives and practitioners, rights activists and religious organisations on prioritising anti-corruption and accountability issues during the general elections in Lagos State.
CACOL Chairman, Debo Adeniran reminded participants that they have important roles to play ahead of the polls, especially in the area of holding candidates to anti-corruption commitments.
He said: “There is an urgent need to set agenda for political candidates in the area of anti-corruption and social inclusion.
“For us to have the moral courage to ask questions, we need to make deliberate efforts to ram it down their throats that, there should be an agenda for anti-corruption exercises, social inclusion if eventually, they win their elections and they have to show it to us everybody must be carried along.”
The first facilitator at the workshop was Wale Adeoye, Executive Director, Journalist for Democratic Rights (JODER) who presented his paper on “2023: Electioneering Activities: Setting the Agenda for Political Actors Through Reportage and Conversations”.
He said the media has a traditional role that includes informing, educating, entertaining and setting agendas for local, national and global sustainable development goals.
Adeoye said that these responsibilities should be discharged to the public, guided by objectivity, truth and transparency in the promotion of the greatest good of the greatest number.
He summarised the agenda the Media is expected to set preparatory to the elections, including “Agenda for peace and stability, sustainable development and livelihood based on truth, the rule of law and objectivity.
“Agenda for content and form of governance which includes but not
limited to environmental, economic, political and cultural issues.
“Agenda for reporting diversity, ethnic minorities, the national question, terrorism in historic context without overlooking the class variables.”
He argued that the media should not only deepen the debate but also enrich
it, including by setting an agenda for the drastic reduction of corruption, electoral violence, work for ethnic conflict prevention and peacebuilding, among others.
The second facilitator at the workshop Mr. Akinbode Oluwafemi, Executive Director, Corporate Accountability & Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), represented by Zikora Ibeh gave a presentation titled
“2023 Electioneering Activities: Asking the Right Questions, Demanding SMART Deliverables”.
He reasoned that if done right, the 2023 elections can help consolidate Nigeria’s democracy and serve as a shinning
example for the West African sub-region “which faces the grim reality of a recrudescence of usurpation of power by the military and other anti-democratic forces.