The Nigerian Broadcasting Cooperation has been asked to make policies that are inclusive by engaging Media Practitioners before unilaterally making regulatory policies to regulate broadcasting cooperation.
The National President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Comr. Chris Isiguzo made the disclosure as a discussant at a panel session at a one day Community Initiatives to Promote Peace (CIPP), with the theme: Fostering an enabling environment for peace in Nigeria, organized by Savannah Centre for Diplomacy and Development holding at the Transcorp Hillton Abuja.
The National President who was speaking on the topic Sensitive Policy Making for Promoting Sustainable Peace and Security: The National National Broadcasting Corporation NBC Act (Amendment) Bill, 2020 as case study, tasked the NBC to be inclusive and sensitive with the mood of the country and the people before making policies that regulates the Broadcast industry, said the Union had no issues with regulations, but said before any regulation, the stakeholders must be consulted.
The NUJ President who noted that the time to churn out policies in line with the mood of the people, described the people and making them part of the decision making as what makes the ingredients of democracy.
The NUJ National President noted that when decisions are made without the peoples input it leads to insurrection and would not meet with the peoples aspirations, said the mood of the nation was what made the NUJ to back out at the last efforts that was made to regulate the broadcast industry.
Mr. Isiguzo pointed out that the NUJ and other stakeholders had to back out of the process to make laws to regulate the broadcast industry, pointing out that the mood of the nation was already charged, with people wanting to speak on the rising level of insecurity, poverty, hunger, shrinking levels of revenue, said it would be unhealthy making laws to regulate the broadcast industry when the people wanted to air their views.
Comr. Isiguzo cautioned Media Practitioners to cautious about conflict sensitive reportage and ensure that their report does not create conflict.
He charged the media practitioners to see Nigeria as the only country they have, asked that the interest of the country must be protected.
Discussants at the Sensitive Policy Making for Promoting Sustainable Peace and Security: The National National Broadcasting Corporation NBC Act (Amendment) Bill, 2020 as case study all agreed to an inclusive dialogue by the NBC and the stakeholders.
Earlier in his lead presentation, Mr. Kolade Babajide, tasked media practitioners on the need to be conflict sensitive reportage, called for an inclusive dialogue between the NBC and the Broadcast Industry in arriving at the regulatory measures needed for conflict sensitive report…. Continue reading