Agenda for Transformation

Gbenga Adefaye

The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), after a meeting of its standing committee penultimate week, outlines a roadmap for the advancement of journalism practice in the country
By Bayo Amodu
June 18-20, 2009 will remain remarkable days in the history of Nigerian media practice. It was a period for cross-fertilisation of ideas among editors drawn from across respectable media organisations in the country. The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), under the leadership of Gbenga Adefaye, Editor-In-Chief of Vanguard Newspapers, held its standing committee meeting in Awka, Anambra State, during the period.
The meeting which provided opportunity for the editors to review the state of media practice in Nigeria, as well as the state of the nation, also featured a presentation entitled “The Media, Labour and Democracy” by the Deputy President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Issa Aremu.
In his presentation, Aremu dwelt mostly on the roles required of organised labour and the media to strengthen democracy in Nigeria.
The NGE at the end of the meeting resolved to support the Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN), in the setting up of an Ombudsman in order to promote responsible journalism. Also, in order to handle cases of misconduct by Journalists. In addition the NGE resolved to set up an Ethics Committee made up of three senior editors and two members of the standing committee.
The committee, after commending with satisfaction, the large turnout of participants from all over the country during the 5th All Nigerian Editors Conference (ANEC) held in Kaduna three months ago between April 2-5th, 2009, adopted the draft proposal for the 6th All Nigerian Editors Conference tentatively billed for Uyo, Akwa Ibom State in April, 2010 with the theme: “oil and Gas: The Nigerian Editor and Imperative for Sustainable Peace.”
Similarly, the Committee encouraged members of the NGE to attend this year’s World Editors Forum (WEF) billed for Hydrabad, India, in November, 2009, noting that interaction with counterparts from other parts of the world helps in fostering viable partnerships that broaden the horizon of media practitioners worldwide.
The Guild, however, noted with dismay, the harsh business environment for journalism practice in the country, leading to staff rationalisation in many media organisations, and urged the Federal Government to as a matter of national emergency, take proactive steps to bolster the nation’s economy.
The NGE frowned at the proliferation of beat associations which according to it often constitute themselves into miniature newsrooms and “cult-like”, deciding what news items and sources would be given attention, thereby denying the profession of its all-embracing role as an open market place of ideas and enjoined media organisations to discourage its staffers from joining such associations.
The NGE noted, with satisfaction, the transparent conduct of the last general election of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), and expressed the hope that the new leadership of the NUJ would work with other stakeholders to bring respectability and professionalism to journalism practice.
Also, the committee urged all editors to avail themselves of the opportunity offered by its website, nigerianguildofeditors.com to stimulate discourse.
The NGE as part of its 10-point communique frowned at the attempt to rewrite the country’s history by politicians, through insinuations that its democracy began only 10 years ago, when in actual fact, the country has a rich tapestry of democratic principles and practices dating back to Nigeria’s Independence in 1960. It also advised that the media and organised labour must partner in order to deepen democratic ideals through increased focus on wealth creation, rather than tokenism called poverty alleviation measures which promote corruption rather than development agenda.
The committee thanked Governor Peter Obi, the government and people of Anambra state, for their support towards the successful hosting of the standing committee meeting of the NGE.