NPAN tasks elected governors on transparency, accountability

Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN) has charged the returning and governors-elect to define their goals from the outset and ensure transparency and accountability while in office.

NPAN President, Nduka Obaigbena, gave the charge while speaking on “Strategic Communications” as a member of media panel at the induction programme organised by the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) and anchored by former Governor of Ogun State, Chief Olusegun Osoba, at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Obaigbena, who noted the media’s role in the country’s 20 years of unbroken democracy, said that with common access to the media as a result of technological advancement, the media’s landscape had been altered.According to him, governors must define their goals and have vision for each ministry under their administrations, adding that they must make transparency and accountability their watchword.

He also charged them to ensure that they maximally make use of the media during disasters and as well reject falsehood when reported by journalists, insisting that they must define their purpose in power, set agenda and think.Former Managing Director of Daily Times, Yemi Ogunbiyi, advised the governors to set agenda, uphold such agenda, keep advice and be accessible.

Ogunbiyi, however, added that as good as media involvement in their administrations might be, it cannot be alternated with good governance, noting that if they crave success, good governance must be their major priority.

“Set your agenda. Keep agenda. Keep advice. Make yourself accessible as much as possible. Sometimes, it is difficult to reach out to governors and commissioners. You need the media, cultivate them. No amount of media coverage is as good as good governance. The most effective weapon of succeeding is good governance,” he said.

Also, a commissioner with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Mr. Sunday Dare, who spoke on the impact of the social media, said that social media were the offshoot of digital media, advising the governors to pay diligent attention to social media.

He also advised them to clean up fake Facebook accounts opened in their names and likewise set goals and engage competent journalists when need be.

“Digital media gave birth to social media. Pay attention to social media. There are no gate-keepers any longer. There are no editors on social media. Clean up multiple Facebook accounts. Let there be situational government, goal-setting and communication competence. Sit down with competent journalists and bring them together going forward,” he said.