Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC), has urged the media to be wary of fake news as it was threatening national stability.
Owasanoye made the call on Monday in Abuja while declaring open a two-day workshop for reporters covering the activities of ICPC.
“Fake news and biased reporting threaten all of us. They threaten stability, professional competencies and our livelihoods,” he said.
The Chairman said that the workshop would offer an opportunity for the Commission and the media to agree on how to communicate professionally with the risk of fake news constantly under consideration.
He urged the participants to use the opportunity to establish a relationship with ICPC and not just a relationship that demands the Commission to disclose which high profile case it was investigating.
“Reporters should seek for a relationship that will help discuss how to deal with the scourge of corruption and the attendant challenges and risks associated with that battle.”
He said that the workshop would also help to improve the capacity of the reporters so that their stories would not become asymmetrical or misleading, or even exaggerated either in favour of, or against, the commission
The ICPC boss also revealed that since the first training workshop for journalists was held last year, there had been an improved trajectory of reportage.
He said that this could be further improved by more engagements and sharing of information and perspective with stakeholders to close the gaps that had existed.
“The interaction will help close the gap and strengthen mutual symbiotic collaboration between the agency and the media,” he said.
He sought the support of the media to assist the agency achieve its mandate of fighting corruption.
Earlier, Mr Ashiru Baba, Director, Public Enlightenment and Education Department, had pointed out how the media had, over the years, only focused on the arrest and prosecution of ‘big shots’ in the society.
He said that such practice negated the efforts at preventing corruption.
“This one-sided outlook by the media was due to the erroneous belief by some media practitioners that the fight against corruption begins and ends with arrest and prosecution of the corrupt politically exposed persons.”
Baba, therefore, highlighted some of the Commission’s efforts at enhancing corporate good governance through Anti-Corruption and Transparency Units (ACTUs) in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
“Others are ethics and integrity scorecards, corruption risk assessments, youth outreach and behavioural change strategies conducted by the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN).”
He regretted that the media had hitherto remained silent about them.
He stated that 90 per cent of the commission’s activities were preventive and public education in nature which should elicit high level media coverage, adding that even prosecution and convictions ought to be reported widely and positively.