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ICIR, AFRICMIL Faults Fed Govt’s Response To Graft Stories

Published

4 years ago

January 26, 2023

…..Laud MacArthur Foundation’s Support For Investigative Journalism

The Federal Government and its agencies have been criticized for failing to take full advantage of investigative corruption reports churned out by media organizations in Nigeria. In contrast, commendations have gone to MacArthur Foundation for supporting the anti-corruption fight in the country.

Two renowned journalists and anti-corruption campaigners who identified the absence of a whistleblower law as a significant difficulty in the fight against corruption made their positions known during PUBLIC CONSCIENCE, an anti-corruption radio programme produced by the Progressive Impact Organization for Community Development, PRIMORG, on Wednesday in Abuja.

Reacting to the government’s response to corruption reports, The Executive Director International Center for Investigative Reporting (ICIR), Dayo Aiyetan, revealed that one of the biggest problems of investigative journalism in Nigeria is the government’s lack of recognition of the constitutional role of the media which is to hold government accountable. He noted that “only about 20 to 30 percent of investigative corruption reports get government reaction”.

Aiyetan lamented the government’s use of state security and anti-graft agents to harass and hound investigative journalists, a development that has further worsened their job and the overall fight against corruption.

“Ten or twenty percent of our work gets the government’s attention, and that’s the tragedy of accountability reporting in Nigeria, sincerely many of us who do investigative reporting work see our work as complimenting government work, but rather than see us as partners, the government are using state institutions, that is the State Security Service (SSS), Department of State Security (DSS), and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Attorney General’s office and all kinds of state agencies to harass us.”

Aiyetan hailed the MacArthur Foundation’s support in the fight against corruption in Nigeria, saying it has massively impacted many journalists – who are now more enlightened, exposed, and emboldened to report events and hold power to account, especially in rural areas.

Ahead of the 2023 general elections, He tasked Nigerians to ensure they elect persons of integrity into offices, insisting that credible leadership is of utmost importance to the nation’s development and will influence governance.

Towing a Similar line, Dr. Chido Onumah, Coordinator of the African Centre for Media & Information Literacy (AFRICMIL), commended the MacArthur Foundation for supporting investigative journalism and advocacies on strengthening the whistleblower policy in Nigeria.

Onumah disclosed that the impact of the support from the MacArthur Foundation has been significant over the years and has gone beyond the fight against corruption and investigation to the development of journalists and members of civil society groups.

His words: “MacArthur’s support is not just in investigations, even capacity building, training for journalists, many of our journalists are better today: they are better able to write, better able to report, because of the kind of support and training they get from these foundations. But many of us in civil society are better able to understand advocacy. We can better be frontiers for the rule of law and ensure accountability, taking on the government, taking on the institutions; it’s all thanks to the foundation’s support”.

Onumah noted that there’d been little progress in government reaction to corruption investigations while expressing optimism that a whistleblower draft bill recently approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) will be passed and signed into law despite the limited time left in the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

He lamented that Nigerians dread reporting corrupt acts because of the shortcomings of the whistleblowing policy, noting that “a national survey after two years of introducing whistleblower policy showed that sampled thousands of people from all walks of life across the country dreaded risking their lives for whistleblowing.

“It’s a policy. A new government can change it any day, but if it’s a law, it can be taken to court and used as a basis for argument. So I think we can’t stop talking about the main imperative of a law.”

Ahead of the 2023 general elections, Onumah urged Nigerians to participate in the polls, emphasizing that Permanent Voter Card (PVC) is as good as a whistleblowing tool in this electioneering period.

Public Conscience is a syndicated weekly anti-corruption radio program used by PRIMORG to draw government and citizens’ attention to corruption and integrity issues in Nigeria.

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Musawa Seeks Broader Significance for June 12

Published

6 hours ago

October 3, 2026

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

The Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, Esq., says June 12 must be remembered as a sacrifice that gave Nigerians democracy, beyond its status as a public holiday.

In a statement signed on Saturday by the Senior Assistant Media & Publicity to the Honourable Minister,Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy Dr Nneka Ikem Anibeze Ph.D in Abuja.

Musawa stated this at the national premiere of “MKO”, a film on Chief Moshood Abiola, held at the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts, Lagos, to mark Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary.

She said 33 years after June 12, 1993, many young Nigerians know it only as a holiday, but the film turns it back into memory.

“For too many young Nigerians, June 12 is simply a public holiday. This film tells them that our democracy did not arrive by chance. It was fought for. It was defended. It was paid for. This documentary is in honour of the heroes of June 12, the men and women who gave their lives for the mandate of June 12, 1993 and for the democracy Nigeria enjoys today,” the Minister said.

Musawa hailed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Chief Host, for his participation in the June 12 struggle and paying the price in exile, adding that Nigeria’s creative industry will keep telling the story of its democracy with courage.

“Through film and the creative economy, Nigeria will preserve its history. A nation that forgets its past loses its way to the future. Nigeria has a story and our story deserves to be told,” she said.

Earlier, the director of the investigative documentary, Ose Oyamendan, said the film was in honour and memory of heroes who fought for Nigeria’s democracy.

“There was Hope ’93 and now there is Renewed Hope. There was a man who sacrificed his life so we may have democracy and there is a man who almost lost his life fighting for democracy who is now helping build a lasting democracy.

“There was a great man called Bashorun MKO Abiola and there is now another great man called Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Democrats. Nationalists. Nation builders. Leaders of men and women. We must never forget our story. We must always honour and remember our heroes,” Oyamendan said.

Top government officials including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the wife of the President Senator Oluremi Tinubu; Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas, Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, Chief of Staff to the President Rt. Femi Gbajabiamila, state Governors, members of the National Assembly, Ministers and other distinguished dignitaries attended the premiere.

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