Oyo Matters
Lead City University Don, Busari, Carpets Politicians Over Inability To Fulfill Campaign Promises
A lecturer at the Department of Mass Communication and Media Technology, Lead City University, Ibadan, Oyo State, Dr. Bayonle Busari has lamented the abysmal failure of political parties to imbibe democratic culture and tenets of good governance.
Dr Busari observed that though democracy was copied from western nations, Nigerian politicians have woefully failed to imbibe democratic culture to build internal democracy for the growth and development of the country.
Busari then enjoined members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists ( NUJ) to set up a welfare scheme that will cater for the need of indigent journalists across the country.
The lecturer, who doubles as the Coordinator, of Postgraduate Programme in the Department, made this declaration, while delivering a paper titled; “Role of Media Practitioners in Evaluation of Fulfilment of 2023 Campaign Promises” at the 2023 annual Press Week of Correspondents’ chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Oyo State Council on Monday.
Some of the personalities at the event included the National Trustee of NUJ Zone B, Mr. Adebayo Akamo, Oyo State NUJ Chairman, Comrade Ademola Babalola and Chairman of the chapel, Mr. Raji Adebayo.
While addressing the gathering, the university don said that journalists are expected to constantly put elected leaders on their toes to ensure that the promises they make during the campaigns are fulfilled.
He maintained that as part of their duties in the society, journalists have a role to set agenda for the society, where they operate.
According to him, it is the responsibility of journalists to determine what the society discusses, how it is discussed and the effect of the discussions.
Busari, who said that the media should put the leaders on the spot and hold them accountable on their electioneering promises as well as the discharge of the primary responsibilities of government, urged them to shun all tendencies that will expose them to patronage from politicians, which he said might make them compromise their integrity.
He however, lamented the condition of many journalists in the country, saying that many o them are being owed salaries, a situation which he said makes them willing tools in the hands of politicians and political parties.
He then advised the NUJ to set up a welfare scheme to cater for indigent journalists.
The academic maintained that this will help reduce the effect of the precarious situation some journalists face.
“The relevance of the topic can be situated in the Agenda Setting Theory, which places a duty on the media to set agenda for the society where they operate. This means that it is the responsibility of media professionals to determine what the society discusses, how it is discussed, and the effect of the discourse.
“Secondly, the relevance of the topic comes by virtue of the role and expectation from the larger society, for the media to put leaders on the spot and hold them accountable on their electioneering promises as well as the discharge of the primary responsibilities of government. This is a duty that elected leaders owe the public.
“This duty, primarily, includes putting a tab on campaign promises made by politicians and the extent to which these promises are kept, where it is observed that politicians are deviating from the pact that they have signed with the people. The media owe it a duty to raise the red flag and call such leaders to the probable failure.
“I will call on the leaders of the NUJ to rise up and take up the gauntlet by ensuring that the salaries of journalists commensurate with their job. This might require putting in place an appropriate legal framework to give life to this proposal.
“Secondly, there is need to have an insurance scheme for journalists in order to mitigate the hardship and risk which they are prone to by the nature of their calling.
“Finally, I will also implore the leadership of the NUJ across board to set up a welfare scheme from where indigent journalists can benefit in order to reduce the effect of the precarious situation, which some of them face that make them willing tools in the hands of politicians and political parties.
“On a personal note, I think there is need for us to shun all tendencies that will expose us to patronage from politicians, which might make us to compromise our integrity.
“I doubt if we have any journalist today who is not a graduate either from the university or polytechnic. This presupposes that we need to work on our self-esteem. The way politicians describe us, sometimes, behind us is better imagined.
“They see us as items that can be sourced at a given price and disposed at will. This situation is unfortunate, and should be unacceptable. We should stop making ourselves available to the political class as disposable materials,” he said.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Chairman of the chapel, Comrade Raji Adebayo, urged politicians to fulfil their campaign promises to the people so that they can enjoy the dividends of democracy.
“We all know that as the voice of the voiceless and watchdog of the masses, we have major tasks of making the political office holders accountable to the electorates. I want to use this opportunity to implore politicians, particularly political office holders from the local government level to the state and at the federal level, to deliver on their campaign promises because this is the only way the dividends of democracy can get to the masses,” he said.
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