MEDIA AND CSOs BRAIN STORM IN ABUJA ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE DELIVERY
Participants and resource persons in a two day Hackathon Training in Abuja say regular interaction between the media and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) is key to solving some of the challenges confronting criminal justice in Nigeria.
The training which is being organised by Premium Times Center for Investigative Journalism is sponsored by the European Union and British Council
The participants are drawn from civil society organizations and Media Houses across the country.
According to one of the resource persons, Miss Berepubo Tamara, sharing of information among the two relevant stakeholders will go a long way to improving transparency in the judicial sector.
Speaking on the role of CSOs and the media in improving the criminal justice system, Miss Tamara noted that journalists in the country had the responsibility to expose corruption and corrupt practices both in the private and public sectors as well as mediating between government and the people.
She charged participants to critically investigate and expose accomplices to economic and financial crimes using various methods.
In another paper presentation on Data sourcing for Advocacy, a resource person, Mr. Adedeji Adekunle, noted that data were only valuable when used to arrive at a better decision and for good reports.
He however expressed regret that some government agencies were not always updating their websites with relevant information that would aid both the government and the governed in making informed conclusions about programs and policies of the government.
Some of the participants from Civil Society Organizations, including Professor Ogugua Ikpeze, from Anambra State and Miss Bada Riyyah Abubarkar from kano State, agreed that adequate data provision and constant interaction between them and the media would help to fix a lot of decays going on against criminal justice.
They expressed sadness that some criminal offences against women and children, especially rape cases were under reported by the media and urged them to do more in that direction.
Journalists at the event including, Mr. Ahmed Adetola Kazeem from Lagos State and Mr. Gibson Soadigo from Adamawa State, identified some of the challenges hindering them from smooth and proper investigation of the criminal justice sector.
They include corruption, attitudes of prison staff, lack of information sharing, stay of execution by courts, poor record keeping, government interest, among others.
Radio Nigeria correspondent Uche Ndeke who is also one of the participants reports that a member of staff of Premium Times Center for Investigative Journalism, Mr. Mboho Eno, had in a welcome address explained that the tools generated from the workshop would help to improve criminal justice and anti Corruption sector in Nigeria.
UCHE NDEKE