A non governmental organization, Rule of Law and Empowerment Initiative, has charged media practitioners on efforts to deepen awareness and understanding of the Police Act 2020 in order to foster a culture of accountability and respect for human rights.
The Executive Director of Rule of Law and Empowerment Initiative, also known as Partners West Africa Nigeria (PWAN), Kemi Okenyodo, gave the charge during a Media Town-Hall Meeting on ‘Human Rights, the Police Act 2020, and Regulations’ in Abuja on Thursday.
The Media Town-Hall Meeting, organized by PWAN with support from the Foreign Commonwealth Development (FCDO), drew journalists from the six states in North Central Nigeria.
Mrs Okenyodo explained that PWAN is dedicated to enhancing citizens’ participation and improving security governance in Nigeria and West Africa broadly, which it achieves through its rule of law and citizens security program areas.
She said the town hall meeting aims to educate the media on mainstreaming the Police Act 2020 into their reporting as well as its impact on police-citizen interactions.
“We will explore the role of media in fostering responsible and rights based reporting on arrests, stop and search as well as profiling by the police.
“We will also discuss actionable strategies to bridge gaps and enhance understanding of the Police Act.
“This meeting is an essential step to strengthening trust, transparency, and accountability between law enforcement and the community.
“Today’s townhall meeting serves as an opportunity for us to Unpack the critical provisions of the Police Act 2020 and its innovations,” she said.
Okenyodo said the meeting is an essential step to strengthening trust, transparency, and accountability between law enforcement, the media and the general public.
The facilitator, Mr Obiora Nwosu, discussed the provisions of the Police Act and the role of the media in promoting accountability in the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
Nwosu described the Police Act 2020 as a significant improvement on its predecessor, bringing much needed reforms to Nigeria’s policing system.
“The Police Act 2020 is being governed with the fundamental principles of transparency, accountability, fairness, equity and protection of human rights, meaning it is quite friendly with Nigerians.
He also highlighted the need to protect the media and how the inclusion of media personnel will help increase awareness on the real life applications of the the Police Act 2020.
According to him, the new Act is more gender responsive and includes vital safeguards to enhance police accountability.
Participants called for improved sensitization on the provisions of the Police Act 2020 among officers of the police force and the general public to ensure effective justice delivery.
During the panel discussion, moderated by Mr. Diego Okenyodo, panelists urged journalists to engaged more in investigative journalism, prioritize accurate information above the urge for ‘breaking news’ and do follow-up on stories concerning Police.
Panelists, including top media practitioners like Mr Onah Iduh, Mrs Justina Asishana, and Mr Idris Miliki, tasked journalists on sustaining their role in fostering accountability and transparency in Nigeria.
