Lawrence Nwimo, Awka
Veteran Journalist and former Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Chris Anyanwu, has advocated for an increased investment in the media industry to boost the practice of democracy in the South-East.
Anyanwu made the call during Ikengaonline monthly Townhall meeting on Friday, where she emphasised the importance of a strong and independent media in promoting transparency, accountability, and good governance.
Speaking on the topic, “The Media, Civil Society, Politics and their Effect on Good Governance in the South-East,” the media mogul stressed the need for media organisations in the South-East to receive adequate funding and support in order to fulfill their democratic responsibilities effectively.
“Democracy tends to work better when it is accompanied by a strong media and civil society that give accurate reportage of how governance happens in the society,” she said.
According to her, “the media is supposed to be active in monitoring government activities but their job has been weakened by developments and the state of the economy.
“When surviving becomes difficult, they tend to look for other ways to survive and by that become complicit to what people in government do.”
Senator Anyanwu recommended that government officials and private sector stakeholders prioritise investment in the media sector as a key strategy for advancing democratic values and promoting good governance in the region.
She highlighted the need for increased training and retraining of journalists for improved performance. She also called for increased collaboration between media organisations, civil society groups, and government agencies for a more transparent and accountable society.
Anyanwu, a former Imo State Commissioner for Information said Nigeria is currently not practicing true democracy.
She called for the total reorientation of the people on the need to shun bribery and the importance of electing the right leaders into government.
