The Interim Administrator of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr. Effiong Akwa says rotational Presidency may not allow for the emergence of quality leadership in the country.
Akwa who was a keynote speaker in this year’s Press Week of the Akwa Ibom State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) said it would not be proper to zero mind on the Presidency with emphasis place, tribe or religion without thinking of good leadership.
Speaking on the theme: Politics, National Unity and the Quest for Credible Elections: The Role of Journalism, he said this would lessen the emergence of quality leadership from that recruitment process in the 2023 general elections.
”Let’s create room for emergence of quality leadership. Whether one comes from Yoruba, Hausa even Akwa Ibom, provided he has what it takes to lead the country we should support him. We must do away with ethnicity or bias or any kind that bring out an inefficient leader,’’ he noted.
According to him, ”Democracy can only be deepened by the lively participation of organisations such as the NUJ in the discourse of the polity and politics of our dear country. Politics is too important to be left only to the politicians.
”By organising this event, the Akwa Ibom State NUJ is supporting the continuous growth of our democracy. The Greek philosopher, Plato noted: mankind will never see an end of trouble until lovers of wisdom come to hold political power or the holders of political power become lovers of wisdom.
”Because of the consistency in our democratic practice, the Nigeria nation is gradually earning a reputation as a democratic role model in Africa. The country has organised five elections and three peaceful transitions of power since the advent of the fourth republic in 1999.
”Nigeria, for example, became the cynosure of African democratic experience in 2015 when then President Jonathan lost and congratulated the winner before the conclusion of vote count.’’
The NDDC Sole Administrator noted ”Credible elections are the sine qua non for democracies to thrive. For democracies without credible elections are no democracies at all.
”We must remember that elections are a mechanism for the arbitration of political rivalries and peaceful democratic rotation of leadership. If political rivals and supporters do not believe the electoral process to be free and fair, then they will ultimately resort to less peaceful methods to change political direction,’’ Akwa added.
The Chairman of the Occasion, Ambassador Assam Assam, SAN thanked journalists for organising the week.
He observed that Nigeria has no opposition party, except that journalists fill the vacuum as opposition.
Earlier, the state NUJ Chairman, Comrade Amos Etuk had said ”As a body, the Nigeria Union of Journalists in Akwa Ibom State will be interested in who becomes what in the State. We are going to be vitally involved in the politics of 2023 because we are very strategic stakeholders in what happens to this state.
Read also
- Sift Sentiments, Politics From Boundary Delineation Exercise- NBC
- Adopt Development-Oriented Model of Politics, Perm Secretary Tells Politicians
- Separate Politics From School System- Says Akwa Ibom Ex-NUT Chief
”We shall be asking questions and demanding answers from those aspiring to lead; we shall engage them, we shall compel them to concentrate on the issues of development and raising the living standard of our people, away from fruitless personality attacks and needless resort to fanning the embers of ethnic discontent.
”In all these, we shall be non-partisan. The NUJ shall continue to throw its doors wide open to all the political parties, all the candidates and to all those aspiring for one elective position or the other. We shall be politically non-aligned, but ideologically aligned with the people of this state to elect leaders they can trust to give them meaningful lives.’’
”I urge our members to remain committed to ethical journalism and see the future of the State as paramount in all their political writings. Politicians will come and go, as we have seen, but our Statements will remain and that is what is more important.
”We shall all aspire to report without malice; to write without hate and render our supports with love. We enjoin politicians to campaign with restraints and base their political utterances on issues devoid of violence, verbal or physical,’’ the NUJ boss assured.
The international award-winning journalist and Executive Director, International Centre for Investigative Journalism, Mr. Dayo Aiyetan, led the discussion on the role of journalism in the 2023 general election in our country and set the tone for what would be the journalist’s template for election reporting in the days leading to the 2023 elections.
