Chief Charles Nzechi, Guest Lecturer at the Special Congress of Abia State Chapter of Nigeria Union of Journalists, last Friday, charged the media to hold political office holders accountable to stem the spate of corruption. SAM OBINNA IBE captures the thought provoking lecture
Chief Charles Nzechi is involved in travel services rendered to multinationals companies, governments and individuals. He is a focused young man who is committed to international standard of doing successful business. The graduate of International Relations is gradually but steadily endearing himself to wide spectrum Nigerians through his philanthropic disposition. A huge believer in Winston Churchill postulation which says “we make a living by what we get, but we make life by what we give.” This philosophical concept, he reasoned that there is nothing more rewarding than giving back and making a difference in the lives of people in the community that nurtured you.
He said, “I am a huge believer in giving back in love and helping out in the community and the world and I believe the measure of a person life is the affect they have on others”
To this end, he underscored the reason why he established Charles Nzechi Foundation, an NGO that is interested in empowering the women and youths.
Sometime last year, he was moved by threat of closure of a community secondary school, Isingwu, in Abia state, largely as a result of low students enrolment for WAEC – Chief Nzechi however came to the rescue for he did not only register 27 WAEC students of the said college but also paid their school fees for the session. He is also credited to have provided skill acquisition training for some women and these successful graduates and succeeded in training other women.
It is in realization of this exemplary behaviour and other empowerment programmes, he initiated the betterment of the women and the young ones through his Charles Nzechi Foundation that Abia State Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) deem it necessary to invite him to deliver a lecture in its special congress held on Friday 26th August, 2016 at No. 1 Aba Road, State secretariat of the Union, Umuahia.
In his welcome address, the State Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Comrade John Emejor commended the Guest lecturer for not only accepting to deliver the lecture but also accept to host the Union for the special congress.
The State Chairman who noted that it is his philanthropist disposition through his foundation towards the betterment of mankind that prompted the Union to invite him to deliver the all important lecture on topical issue affecting journalists and indeed their profession.
Comrade Emejor however tasked practicing journalists in the state to stick strictly to the ethics of the profession while hoping to maximize on the gains of the lecture. He therefore called on the guest lecturer to share with his experiences on his philanthropist gestures which he said will benefit the larger society through effective dissemination of the message by the media.
He however appealed to the philanthropist to assist the state council in its determine effort to erect a temporary office for the journalists in the state while regretting that Abia State Council of NUJ is the only council still operating on a rented apartment. He further disclosed that the permanent structure started by the administration of former Governor, Chief T.A. Orji is stalled.
In his lecture presentation, Nzechi articulated a most scholarly work on what the media should do to hold government accountable.
According to him, an independent media play a critical role in improving governance and reducing corruption, increasing economic efficiency and stability. He also added that the media help in creating positive social and environmental change.
In the lecture, titled: Enabling Social, Economic and Political Development: The role of journalist and journalism. The guest lecturer underscored the important role journalist plays in shaping the society for better through effective reportage devoid of any censorship.
The lecture was delivered on his behalf by renowned media consultant, Mr. Celestine Okeke through an incisive research educating journalists on the powerful influence of free and independent media to the society.
“The media provide information to actors throughout society allowing them to participate in the decisions and debates that shapes their lives, the media also play in important monitoring role in a democracy that enables citizens to hold their governments and elected officials accountable-leading to better policies and service implementation” the lecturer submits.
He however maintained that by providing easy access to information to users of public services, the media empowers citizens to demand quality and accountability from their governments while citing a 2004 study by the World Bank that examined Ugandan Newspaper’s campaign to inform teachers about education grant funds and the impact of the campaign had an improving the education system by reducing regulatory capture.
To this end, he posits that the hypothesis was that the more informed teachers would hold official accountable for the proper use of the funds. The study he said used distance to the nearest newspaper outlet as an instrument for wider exposure to the campaign (via parents for example) and found a strong relationship between proximity to a newspaper outlet and lower capture.
The lecturer also gave another example in a paper presented by David Stromberg on his “Radio’s impact on public spending, the quarterly journal of economics 119.1 (2004): 189-221 – found out that better-informed citizens are more likely to vote which in turn encourages politicians to be responsive. He explained that the results of his research on how radio penetration impacted relief programme fund allocations indicated that governors allocated more relief funds to areas where a larger share of the population had radios and that the effects were both statistically significant and economically important.
In a four page paper presentation, the guest lecturer pointed out that there is a robust link between media development and government responsiveness especially to the poor, who have numerical strength in a democracy but are often ignored by politicians, adding that a media sector that reaches and gives voice to the vulnerable can create informed citizens that can better monitor the actions of the incumbent politicians and can use this information in their voting decisions.
Driving home his points, the guest lecturer, however charged Abia Journalists to use the vehicle of the media to monitor the government and hold it accountable to its actions noting that this will make government to sit up and perform.
“If you leave government to operate on their own level, they will not sit up to better the lots of the citizenry but always think of how to win another election take care of their personal needs and cronies. It is only an independent media that can hold government accountable and force it to perform” He chips in.
He cited the example of two American Journalists, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, both of the Washington post who in 1972 through their powerful investigation, publication exposed the Watergate scandal leading to the resignation of President Richard Nixon. He disclosed that Charles Nzechi foundation is ready to partner with Abia Journalists on four key areas as: value orientation, health, economic empowerment and education of Abia citizen if any journalists could come forward with anything that can add value to the people.
The high point of the occasion was questions and answer session after the lecture which the lecturer did justice to and communiqué on the State of the nation while Abia journalists commended the lecturer for coming to give such an educative lecture which border on need to enhanced their performance.