KANO – Participants at the recently held training for Accountability Journalists have expressed concern over poor political will on the part of the Nigerian Government towards full implementation of various national and international commitments on child and family health.
This was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of a 2-day training in Child and Family Health, organized by Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) in collaboration with Partnership for Advocacy In Child And Family Health (PACFaH) for 25 accountability journalists in Kano.
They also expressed concern over preventable loopholes in the 2016 national budget, unchecked mismanagement of pubic treasury and persistent high cost of governance in the legislature despite inadequate budgetary allocation to child and family health.
The communique reads further:
Recognise that the United States donor agencies under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 are totally prohibited from lobby activities; and relevant media demanding accountability under the agencies’ projects and programmes must uphold and strictly adhere to the lobby-free provisions in their related coverage and reportage.
Also recognise that legislative advocacy is a deliberate process with demonstrated evidence to indirectly influence the legislators to support or pass a specific legislation; and lobby aims at directly influencing the legislators to support or pass a specific legislation.
Further recognise that government has the responsibility to commit necessary resources to health sector; and relevant stakeholders have the right to know how much and on what are the national/state resources expend on child and family health.
Note that proactive effort by Government of Nigeria to ensure adequate understanding of the current budgetary system will command appropriate compliance to required standards in the budgetary preparation and implementation.
Also note that encouraged and well-funded independent media will prompt investigative journalism, evidence-based advocacy, comprehensive coverage and reportage on legislative accountability in child and family health.
Further note that inclusive and participatory media in material design and development will enhance ownership in data modification and utilisation to demand accountability in child and family health.
Affirm coalition building and proper networking among accountability journalists for appropriate update and data validation to inform accurate and credible reportage in child and family health.
Commit to embrace high level transparency, accountability, creativity and due diligent with verifiable evidence and strictly adhere to specific objective in coverage and reportage on child and family health through constant follow-up, period evaluation, investigative journalism, content sharing, and field study.
Also commit to effectively utilise existing legislation such Freedom of Information Act (FOI) in engaging all levels of governments for in-depth investigation, data validation to demand accountability in child and family health.
Will adopt constructive and proactive strategies to break related barriers and impending challenges confronting citizen participation, effective coverage and reportage in child and family health
Shall effectively engage the legislatures on their primary responsibilities – law-making, oversight, representation, constituency outreach, financial control, confirmation of appointment, and constitutional amendment—to demand accountability in child and family health.
The training, which was well-attended, aimed at bringing selected and reputable journalists under one roof for training on appropriate skills and knowledge to effectively demand accountability in child and family health from the legislatures.
