I remember having to ask Edetaen Ojo what is the difference between Civil Society Organisations ( CSOs ) and Non-Governmental Associations (NGOs). It was a long throaty laughter he gave when he tried to explain the difference.
This was the first time I will be in a meeting of both Journalists and Civil Society Organisations, and Edetaen Ojo, who recognised the dilemma in my question, was quite patient to explain the difference.
In his opinion, NGOs and CSOs are the same. However, Civil Society Organisation is the broader term used in characterising what the advocates of social justice and good governance do. Not to forget that Non-Governmental Individuals (NGIs) do exist; they are in Barrister Onyinyechi’s explanation, “the unscrupulous individuals that attract bigger funding from external bodies for a purpose, and end up sharing the money equally amongst themselves without using the fund attracted for its initial claim.” Social Justice is of no meaning to them, as they are in the business for the advancement of getting personal gain for themselves
May be that was the reason the Federal Government sought to scourge them and fight them with several policies like the anti-NGO bill, threatening the core of their existence. The meeting facilitated by the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR) made me to understand that the media and CSOs are both advocates for social justice and good governance, employed in the service of the well-being of the greater good for the people.
Thus, I wasn’t too surprised to see several organisations under the Civil Society Organisations. Initially, one would pass them as activists, probably noisemaking eloquent individuals that like to speak good English on TV. I was in an interview with an activist once and I knew how strictly I had to sanitise that report lest it rescinds into a libellous claim against the government and my organisation.
CSOs are an integral part of the society. They have all the sources to the grassroots and public donors but they face one problem with the press. What Barrister Onyinyechi of the South Saharan Social Development Organization outlined as visibility. That is the area in which they need the press to help project their work to the people and the world beyond. In a society like Nigeria, where it is difficult to share human issues that people deal with on a personal basis, it is quite hard to go public for many reasons. Shame is a major part of the problem. Then there is fear, victimisation and stigmatisation. Coming out to talk on real human issues of abuse, Female Genital Mutilation, Rape, VVF, HIV/AIDS to mention a few is frantically impossible.
Read Also: “Civil societies are the third sector of the society”- Edetaen Ojo
With Civil Society Organisations, your secrets are safe. Some of the issues never cease to worry them in the least. They are ever willing to share and help. But must these CSOs then pay for press coverage? Bearing in mind that some members of the press could be owed salaries for months with their employers doing nothing to salvage the issues?
Must they pay the press for coverage of the ideals that will promote human good, social justice and good governance? Do CSOs not have funding for Media campaigns?
Many sides vary in this argument. But the most important aspect is that both sides must work together and generate a meaningful relationship beyond just transactional journalism to highlighting the real issues affecting people. People that both CSOs and Journalists have sworn to protect.
What are the metrics of social justice and good governance? Is it the quarterly inflation rates of the UN, UNESCO, and other regulatory bodies that are churned out as reports daily? Over 6 million people lost their jobs in Nigeria last year. Is this the viable economy that our Ministers and Heads of State always push and propagate about?
Social Justice and good governance is for the people. If the people are well taken care of, the Government will be applauded. Is it not the mandate of the people that the Government must obey? Social Justice is the link between the grassroots and the people. The CSOs must join hands with the fourth realm of estate as espoused by William Burke to bring the development to the Nigeria of our dreams we have always talked about.
Let the Journalists and CSOs now work together. This way, the government will feel the due pressure to fulfil its numerous promises, be accountable to the people and good governance will ensue.
