Wole Soyinka Centre/Albarka FM Holds One-Day Media Round-table on Good governance and accountability the role of the media at sub-national level

The Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism in collaboration with Albarka 89.9 FM, Ganmo, Kwara State on Thursday organised a one-day media round-table program on “Good governance and accountability the role of the media at sub-national level” with participants drawn from media organizations and practitioners across the state.

The round-table program funded by the MacArthur Foundation was held at City-In-Hotel, G.R.A Ilorin, with media executives and journalists from conventional and new media in attendance.

The participants were engaged in their function as media practitioners in ensuring public officeholders and workers live up to expectations in making taxpayers’ money work for the interest of people and the development of society at large.

The resource person, Dr Ademola Bakare of the University of Ilorin, charged the media practitioners to prioritise investigative journalism saying it’s the only way public officeholders and civil servants can be held accountable for how taxpayers’ money is being used.

“As a media practitioner, you deserve recommendation with the level of media coverage coming out of the state but, there is still more to do in terms of investigative reporting because this is where the residents in the state can feel the impact of your profession by hold on public office holders and civil servant accountable in what they are doing to make positive change in the life of people in the state.

He also urged Journalists always do away with emotion and sentiment while discharging their duties.

“As a Journalist, you are not expected to be partisan and sentimental in discharging your duties; fact, reality, and fairness must be followed because it’s only by this that members of the public can be better informed.

Dr Bakare also charged the media with serving as a watchdog and setting agenda for the government and its institutions to see if they are living up to expectations and working according to the mandate.

He also lauded the seminar organisers for empowering the media practitioners with the knowledge and canvasing for community development.