| WANTED: Deliverables and timelines |
 |
 |
 |
| Written by Gbenga Adefaye |
| Sunday, 12 April 2009 13:42 |
|
WANTED: Deliverables and timelines By Gbenga Adefaye Protocols. It is indeed a great honour for me, on behalf of the executive and members of the Standing Committee of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, to welcome you all our distinguished editors of the Nigerian mass media _ in newspapers, magazines radio and television, online and wire agencies, guests, resource persons, ministers, media owners and other stakeholders in the Nigerian project to Kaduna for the All Nigerian Editors Conference (ANEC) 2009. This is the fifth outing, since Ada in Osun state five years ago. The theme of this year's conference is VISION 20/2020 AND THE NIGERIAN EDITOR: THE IMPERATIVE OF KNOWLEDGE. Many would ask, what is the concern of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, with Vision 20/2020 _ an official government attempt to have a mental picture of the future of Nigeria in 11 years' time? Cynically, many would want to know what business of the editor it is if public officials, even when they appear not to mean what they say, wishfully sloganise on a future Nigeria expected to be number 20 largest economy in the world in 11 years _ a nation that is able to consolidate its leadership role in Africa and establish itself as a significant player in the global economic and political arena? Those who have doubts have good reasons to be cynical: our infrastructure remains decayed. Power, the main driver of the economy remains epileptic. Nigeria remains one of the largest importers of generating sets because our celebrated incompetence and internal contradictions have conspired to keep us in the dark. Our educational system, many allege, yearly output questionably skilled and maybe unfit manpower rather than give us the competitive edge in the comity of nations. Our rich nationals willfully export their children overseas, including places like Ghana and even Benin Republic for quality education, if only to rub it in. Our health system yearns for a strategic re_appraisal when diseases that ought to exist only in our history books remain endemic. Our import dependent manufacturing sector cannot absorb the army of the unemployed. Life expectancy is still an abysmally low. Our citizens still till the soil in subsistent agriculture, while portable water is still pipe dream to millions. EFCC's existence and performance notwithstanding, many still see us as corrupt because of the misdemeanor of a few. And our electoral system is still a do or die affair while Niger Delta issue remains un_resolved. So how do we overtake those ahead of us when they are in a state of inertia themselves? So many would ask and rightly too: What is the business of the Nigerian editor with public sloganeering? What concern of the editor is it with official posturing? There is a straight answer to that: whereas governments would come and go, Nigeria remains. So visioning for it should not be a government project. Rather, it must be a project for the leadership whether in public sector or the private sector. And editors are leaders, placed by assignment, to moderate communication and information exchange. They are, more than many who pretend rather than act it, patriots of great value. More importantly, the editors who constitute the leadership of the newsrooms have constitutional obligations in Section 22 of the 1999 Constitution of oversight functions over all arms of the government including the private sector. They more than more than anyone else are to see to it that the non justiciable Fundamental Objectives of the State Policy are adhered to. They have a duty also to see to it that Nigeria does not hallucinate or live the nightmare. They can help fashion a realistic and realizable vision by demanding for facts and figures and holding the political leadership accountable for their vision and deeds. This is the reason why we have asked those in government to come and put their facts on the table and let the editors discuss them. By the way, there will be a lot of non official views rendered here these four days. The truth, also is that Nigeria is not an irredeemable case. If we get the fundamentals right as exemplified by limited oasis of excellence in our midst, we can indeed be a great nation of great achievements, not just potentials. So what do we want from this conference? What we seek at the conference are commitment to deliverables and timelines for greatness. We seek to put in perspective the desires and the needs of Nigerians and establish OBSERVABLE VERIFIABLE INDICATORS of excellence by which to judge our steps towards Vision 20/20202. We would like to have a checklist with which we can make demands on our leaders. We would like the editors to be equipped with comparatives. Perhaps, that should help the mass media to make input in the budget planning process and monitor budget execution, on a rolling plan basis for Nigeria. This is what we mean by the imperative of knowledge for the Nigerian editor. Before I take my seat, please permit me to publicly acknowledge the immense work done by the ANEC planning committee led by my predecessor and greatest supporter Baba Halilu Dantiye. Baba is a good man. Baba, I am encouraged by your attitude and aptitude. Baba led Tukur , Aisa , Ndakauba, Femi Adesina, Bonnie Iwouha, Isaac Igbure, Steven Ayorinde to give us this conference. With people like him, the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) which is now a registered corporate citizen will get there. Otherwise, I welcome you all to Kaduna and enjoin you to savour the hospitality of our host _the Kaduna state government and the kind support of our partners and sponsors. Gbenga Adefaye *Being welcome address by Mr Gbenga Adefaye President Nigerian Guild of Editors to the All Nigerian Guild of Editors, Kaduna April 2, 2009 |
