The media have been tasked to hold government accountable for the COVID-19 funds.
Participants at a media workshop in Lagos made the call, said journalists should hold the three tiers of government accountable for funds received toward the fight against COVID-19 pandemic.
The call was contained in a communique issued at the end of the two-day workshop on “Using the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act for Investigative Reports on Campaign Finance and COVID-19 Accountability Issues.
The participants described media performance in holding government accountable for COVID-19 proceeds as “grossly inadequate”.
The workshop was organised by the International Press Centre (IPC) in partnership with the Media Rights Agenda (MRA) and European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN).
They expressed dismay that the media is also not doing enough to unravel the mysteries surrounding political and campaign finance in Nigeria, noting that many issues of importance and significant implications for governance have remained uninvestigated and unreported.
The Communique contended that nvestigative reporting remains a painstaking process of gathering evidence which may require journalists to submit several requests for information to different public institutions and possibly private entities.
They further maintained that for journalists to embark on such reporting, they must be conversant with all the laws, regulations and policies which guide campaign financingas well as be creative and inquisitive.
The communique pointed out that the media could play a vanguard role in overcoming the barriers that often militate against disadvantaged groups such as women, youths and persons living with disabilities and their participation in elections.
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