Hold Politicians’ Feet To The Fire, Ezekwesili Charges Journalists

Nigerian journalists have been advised not to be afraid but to hold politicians’ feet to the fire.

This was the charge of former education minister and strong force behind the Bring Back Our Girls campaign, Dr Oby Ezekwesili.

She gave the charge speaking at a media roundtable of the same theme:  “The Accountability Imperative: Holding Politicians’ Feet to the Fire”, which held in Abuja today.

Nigerian journalists should not be afraid to hold politicians’ feet to the fire as “It is established empirically that the media is central to the development of any society.

“The 1999 Constitution empowers the media to hold public office holders accountable.

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“No group is feared the most like the media and media organisations must live up to expectation”, Dr Ezekwesili declared..

“When we talk about accountability, what upset people the most is that you dared to speak up objectively and publicly about matters that concern the people.

“World over, what is known of government is that it exists to deliver improvement in the quality of life.

“This is to ensure security of lives and property,” she said.

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An initiative of the FrontFoot Media Initiative, the programme attracted a number of other participants, and Dr Ezekwesili bemoaned the fact that politicians have made themselves more important than the people that bring them into office and whose interests they were supposed to cater to.

This she said is an anomaly for which the media should sit up and hold politicians’ feat to the fire, by which they must perform its constitutional role of checkmating them.

She said the media should thus hold political office holders accountable, in the collective interest of the society.

“It is established empirically that the media is central to the development of any society.

“The 1999 Constitution empowers the media to hold public office holders accountable.

“No group is feared the most like the media and media organisations must live up to expectation”, which implies to hold politicians’ feat to the fire.

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The Eagle reports that Dr Ezekwesili is a reputable Nigerian who had an illustrious career both in Nigeria and internationally.

Her tenure as World Bank president for Africa Region lasted from 2007 to 2012.  She is a strong advocate of good governance generally and the protection of fundamental human rights.