Hold Govts In Africa Accountable, Group Tells Media

UMUAHIA – A group, CHARS-Africa asks media in Africa to hold government accountable for their actions

A civil liberty organization, the African Centre for Human Advancement and Resource Support (CHARS-Africa) has said that the best way to move the African continent forward is for the media practitioners in the continent to hold their government accountable.

Speaking at a roundtable meeting with the media in Umuahia, the Chief Executive Officer of CHARS-Africa, Lady Barr Amaka Biachi said Africa is presently undeveloped because the leaders and those in government are not being held accountable in their actions and inactions while in office.

The parley, titled “Support to Civil Society Advocacy towards Strengthening Key Legislative Frameworks for Increased Accountability and Good Governance in Abia State”, was held at the office of Correspondents Chapel, Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) Abia State Council.

On Nigeria, Lady Biachi stated that CHARS-Africa has resolved to work in liaison with the media in Abia State to strengthen democracy and hold political leaders in the state accountable for better governance.

According to her, it is only through effective collaboration between the civil society organizations and the media that the state can move forward; saying that it will be for the interest of the masses and government in power that state actors are told the areas they are not doing well enough.

Explaining some key legislative frameworks like the Procurement Act, 2007, Freedom of Information Act, 2011 and Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007 and their roles in holding government accountable, the CHARS-Africa boss opined that in Abia State only the procurement Act has been domesticated, pointing out that efforts should be made to domesticate others.

Meanwhile, the participants at the meeting x rayed some barriers encountered while performing their constitutional duties in the state as well as measures to tackle them, emphasizing that measures that could aid media actors to overcome these challenges is to be steadfast in promoting the use of the legislative frameworks to enhance accountability and good governance in the state.

Also speaking, the programme Director, Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (ROLAC) Programme, Abia state, Mr Peter Omenka, thanked the media in the state for assuring civil society organizations of its readiness to partner with them to hold the state government accountable for their actions.

The highlights of the roundtable chat, was the distribution of Public Procurement Act,2007, Freedom of Information Act, 2011 and Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007 publications to media practitioners in Umuahia by chief executive officer of CHARS-Africa.