constitutionreview-use of new media platform recommended

constitution review- use of new media platform advocated qasim akinreti,abuja.

Participants at national media forum on the review of the Nigerian 1999 constitution has recommend the use of new media platform for the popularisation of core areas of amendments to the 1999 constitution. According to the participants drawn from the media and civil societies group, the use of new media platform was in consonance with the international best practices in constitutional reviews in the 21st century. the south africa experience Citing the last constitutional amendment in south Africa as an example , where views of over 5 million south Africans were collated involved the creation of a website and links to blogs, Facebook ,twitter and Youtube accounts. The national forum equally called for the effective monitor of constitution review process to ensure that the core major areas focusing on sustainable development of Nigeria are not thrown out. The national media forum emphasised the need for the use of simple language and translation of the entire constitution in three major dominant languages, namely Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa. It will be recalled that Nigerian deputy senate president Ike Ekweremadu outlined fifteen areas of the 1999 constitution for review. core areas Some these areas are the Immunity clause, the residency and indegenship, Land use act, Devolution of powers, Creation of states, Recognition for six geo-political zones, Role of traditional rulers, Local government administration, Fiscal federalism and State of the Nigerian police And to the the Resident Coordinator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Nigeria Daouda Toure, it is important for Nigeria to engage the constitutional review in advancing the democratic agenda for development. He stated this in Abuja at national media forum on the review of the Nigerian 1999 constitution that the attempt to review the 1999 constitution must be seen by all and contributed to as such because “the current efforts are one step further towards building sustainable democratic governance”

“It is of critical importance to make the constitutional review agenda a top priority for national discussions and debates through public and private media so that the Nigerian people can effectively engage in the entire process because democracy requires the active participation of citizens”

Maintaining that constitutions are the law par excellence that establish the character of government and define the basic principles to which a society must conform, he emphasized that “democratic participation is a critical end of governance, not just a means of achieving it” On Tuesday, President Goodluck Jonathan received the report of the Presidential Committee on the Review of Outstanding Issues from Recent Constitutional Conferences led by former Chief Justice Alfa Belgore. The president said it “signals a seminal defining moment in Nigeria’s quest for the consolidation and entrenchment of democratic ideals in our nation’s political and governance processes.” media to the rescue The Abuja conference aims to mobilize the media on information dissemination and civic education in the constitution review process and devise strategies for effective media engagement, raise citizen awareness and participation in the constitutional reform process through public and private media and; advocate for increased constitutional recognition for press freedom, access to information and media independence. According to Daouda, the conference was timely but also important “because durable democracies depend on respect for constitutionalism, the rule of law, strong civil societies, and a free press, the lifeblood of democratic politics. The media plays a crucial role in keeping citizens engaged in the business of governance, and healthy political processes require pluralism and open communication. By providing a vibrant and free environment for communication, debate and deliberation, the media helps to establish good governance.” a triparte collaboration In arriving at the theme for this year’s conference, the Democratic Governance for Development (DGD) project of the UNDP said it is in tandem with its objective of strengthening civic engagement in the democratic process. It is being held in partnership with the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and the International Press Center (IPC)

The Reporting Advisor of the DGD for Nigeria Mrs. Toyin Gabriel noted yesterday that through DGD’s support,

“all political party leaders represented at the National Assembly as well those aspiring to representation worked together to develop a joint memorandum addressing the legal status of political parties, the professionalisation of their administrations, the strengthening of internal mechanisms for promoting affirmative action, support to women among others. I applaud their work and leadership to arrive at a model memorandum for all political parties across the political spectrum”

a focus administration Before the technical sessions began, the conference was declare open by the Deputy Senate President and Chairman, Senate Ad hoc Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, Ike Ekweremadu while Minister of Information, Labaran Maku gave a goodwill message where he reiterated the present administration’s efforts at deepening the country’s democratic process. ADDITIONAL REPORT FROM THE GUARDIAN NEWSAPAPER.