In Abuja, advocates step up campaign for Community Radio

ADVOCATES of the community broadcasting under the auspices of the Nigerian Community Radio Coalition (NCRC) are displeased with the federal government. And they appear to have strong reason for their displeasure.
Twenty-seven months (since October 19, 2010 precisely) after President Goodluck Jonathan declared that the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) could consider and issue community radio licences, the order has not been heeded.
Worst still, the ‘stumbling blocks’ against the operationalisation of this directive are not explicitly communicated to the stakeholders, hence, operatives of rumour mill have since taken over the process.
Hear President Jonathan on the occasion of the 8th Biennial Conference of African Broadcasters (AFRICAST) in October 2010: “We are aware of the need to expand the broadcast space and give more voice to the people. Consequently, the Federal Executive Council has considered and approved the guidelines proposed by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) for the licensing of Community Radio in Nigeria. Further, we have devolved to the Commission, the power to consider and issue the licences without further recourse to the Presidency, provided such applicants have met all conditions stipulated by law.”
At the two-day Community Radio Briefing and Strategy Meeting held last week (January 21 and 22) in Abuja, attention was focused on how to unravel the mystery surrounding the realisation of this dream. Principally, the objective of the meeting was to develop strategies to achieve the speedy implementation of community radio licensing to promote media pluralism and democratization of citizen access to information.
The meeting was convened by the Democratic Governance for Development (DGD) II project of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in collaboration with the Nigeria Community Radio Coalition (NCRC). The DGD II project is joint donor-funded project managed by the UNDP in support of deepening democracy in Nigeria.
The project is funded with contributions from the European Commission (EC), the UK Department for International Development (DFID), the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and the UNDP. The NCRC was formed in 2005 to sensitize and mobilize stakeholders and heighten advocacy to fill the gaps in the Nigerian broadcasting landscape that undermine democratic participation and development efforts.
The meeting drew participation of community radio stakeholders from various parts of the country and representing different sectors; as well as government ministries, departments and agencies including community leaders; academic institutions; media professionals; campus radio managers and operators; non-governmental organizations (NGOs); community-based organizations (CBOs); advocates of community radio and development communication; gender advocates; international development agencies among others.
The opening ceremony on Monday paraded Prof. Ralph Akinfeleye of the Department of Mass Communication at the University of Lagos as chairman; the DGD Project Director, Dr. Moutarda Deme; Dr. (Mrs.) Hannatu Ibrahim, a member of the Steering Committee of the Nigeria Community Radio Coalition; Mr. Mike Omeri, Director-General of the National Orientation Agency; and Mr. Joe Obodoeze, a Director at the Federal Ministry of Information, representing the Honourable Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku.
The meeting also featured presentations by experts, community radio advocates and representatives of intending host communities for community radio stations, in plenary and break-out sessions.
In the course of the meeting, it was observed that new approaches to development emphasize people’s greater control over their own lives through their active participation in deciding, planning and executing initiatives aimed at improving their socio-political and economic development, a process which requires effective access to information and voice for all segments of the society.
Besides, participants acknowledged the global status of community radio as a grassroots medium of communication as it facilitates participatory and democratic development, in addition to providing a voice for local people, promoting media pluralism, improving access to information and knowledge, and enabling local decision-makers to be held accountable.
They itemized other benefits of community radio broadcasting to include democratizing citizens’ access to information; giving a voice to the voiceless such that through the content they provide and the perspectives they share, the development agenda is determined by citizens.  In addition, community radio broadcasting restores citizens’ integrity; promotes transparency and accountability in governance; is cost effective; has immediacy of impact; and has the potential of creating thousands of job opportunities across the country.
If Nigeria is to make significant progress in its democratic development, participants argued, the country would need to harness the potential and capacity of community radio to foster community dialogue, build peace, strengthen the integrity of the electoral process, contribute to transparency and accountability of governance institutions at the grassroots and facilitate citizen’s participation in governance.
The failure of the Federal Government and NBC to give effect to the announcement by President Goodluck Jonathan on October 19, 2010 on the delegation of authority to the NBC to issue licenses for community radio broadcasting in Nigeria, participants insisted, would continue to undermine the credibility and integrity of the Federal Government, particularly the Office of the President.
They catalogued the results of the failure of the Federal Government and the NBC to issue community radio licences since then to include denying dozens of communities across the country effective access to the media, limiting their right to freedom of expression, and depriving them of development assistance and other benefits which would otherwise have accrued to them.
Resolutions reached at the end of the meeting are targeted at specific stakeholders such as government agencies, Nigeria Community Radio Coalition (NCRC), communities, as well as international development agencies and partners.
For government agencies, participants tasked the NBC specifically to work with other relevant agencies and authorities within the Federal Government to urgently give effect to the announcement by President Jonathan on October 19, 2010 that he had delegated authority to the NBC to issue licenses for community radio broadcasting in Nigeria.
The NBC, as the regulatory body for the broadcast sector, is also urged to play a leading and pivotal role in resolving all outstanding issues impeding the licensing of community radio broadcasting, including by convening a high-level meeting among critical stakeholders in government to provide a platform for an open and frank discussion of challenges and concerns as well as for their resolution.
Participants would also want the NBC to develop a regulatory framework for community radio broadcasting in Nigeria, which can form the basis for further debates and discussions.   Such a regulatory framework, they submitted, should define community radio; contain clear requirements for the granting of licenses for community radio stations; information about the licensing process and a regime of license fees, among other issues.
With respect to the advocacy group, the Nigeria Community Radio Coalition (NCRC), participants canvassed forging of new alliances and building of strategic partnerships with government institutions, such as the National Orientation Agency (NOA), to push through a successful advocacy for community radio broadcasting in Nigeria.
The coalition is also charged to embark on a campaign of targeted advocacy aimed at relevant authorities within the Federal Government, particularly the Presidency, the Federal Ministry of Information, the Federal Ministry of Justice and the NBC to address any lingering concerns that they may have about community radio broadcasting in Nigeria and persuade them to give effect to President Jonathan’s pronouncement.
Also expressed is the need for NCRC to explore the possibility of facilitating a programme of experience sharing between senior Nigerian government officials and senior officials of other relevant governments in West Africa in order to ensure a better understanding among the Nigerian authorities about the potential of community radio broadcasting, including for peace building and conflict resolution purposes.
While NCRC continues to pursue a policy framework for the actualization of community radio broadcasting in Nigeria, participants would like the coalition to explore the options of pursuing a clear statutory provision and a strong constitutional backing for community radio broadcasting.
Even as they wait for broadcast licenses to be issued, communities proposing to establish community radio stations are tasked to take advantage of available and cheap new technologies to begin the process of content development, which can also be distributed online.  This will prepare them to become operational as soon as they receive their licences while at the same time helping them to build their capacities.
The communities were also admonished to assess their capacity needs and develop concrete plans to address such needs, including by seeking support from development agencies and learning from the experiences of community radio stations in other countries in the West African region.
While acknowledging the roles international development agencies and partners have continued to play in the country’s democratisation process, participants asked them to lend their strong voices to the advocacy efforts by constantly raising the issue of licensing community radio stations whenever they engage the NBC or other relevant government agencies or authorities.
In addition, the meeting urged development agencies to continue to assist communities and aspiring community radio operators with capacity-building support in the areas of management, programme development, acquisition of equipment and appropriate technologies  as well as other ways that may be possible within their respective mandates.
Culled from The Guardian.

Communiqué issued at the end of the Community Radio Briefing and Strategy Meeting

COMMUNIQUE

 Communiqué issued at the end of the Community Radio Briefing and Strategy Meeting held at the Rockview Hotel (Royale), Abuja

On Monday, January 21 and Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Preamble

A two-day Community Radio Briefing and Strategy Meeting was held in Abuja on Monday, January 21 and Tuesday, January 22, 2013.  The objective of the meeting was to develop strategies to achieve the speedy implementation of community radio licensing to promote media pluralism and democratization of citizen access to information.

The meeting was convened by the Democratic Governance for Development (DGD) II project of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in collaboration with the Nigeria Community Radio Coalition (NCRC). The DGD II project is joint donor-funded project managed by the UNDP in support of deepening democracy in Nigeria.  The project is funded with contributions from the European Commission (EC), the UK Department for International Development (DFID), the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and the UNDP. The NCRC was formed in 2005 to sensitize and mobilize stakeholders and heighten advocacy to fill the gaps in the Nigerian broadcasting landscape that undermine democratic participation and development efforts.

Participation

The meeting was attended by community radio stakeholders from variousparts of the country and representing different sectors.  It was attended byparticipants drawn from Government ministries, departments and agencies;the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), the National Orientation Agency (NOA), community leaders; academic institutions; media professionals; campus radio managers and operators; non-governmental organizations (NGOs); community-based organizations (CBOs); advocates of community radio and development communication; gender advocates; international development agencies; and other stakeholders

The meeting was addressed at the opening ceremony by the Chair of the occasion, Professor Ralph Akinfeleye, who is of the Department of Mass Communication at the University of Lagos; the DGD Project Director, Dr.Moutarda Deme; Dr. (Mrs.) Hannatu Ibrahim, a member of the Steering Committee of the Nigeria Community Radio Coalition;Mr. Mike Omeri, Director-General of the National Orientation Agency; and Mr.Joe Obodoeze, a Director at the Federal Ministry of Information, representing the Honourable Minister of Information, Mr.LabaranMaku.

The meeting also heard presentations from experts, community radio advocates and representatives of intending host communities for community radio stations, in plenary and break-out sessions.

At the end of the meeting, the participants agreed to adopt this Communiqué.

OBSERVATIONS

The participants observed as follows:

·         New approaches to development emphasize people’s greater control over their own lives through their active participation in deciding, planning and executing initiatives aimed at improving their socio-political and economic development, a process which requires effective access to information and voice for all segments of the society.

·         Community radio as a grassroots medium of communication is acknowledged worldwide to be a great facilitator of participatory and democratic development, providing a voice for local people, promoting media pluralism, improving access to information and knowledge, and enabling local decision-makers to be held accountable.

·         Community radio broadcasting has many other benefits, including democratizing citizens’ access to information; giving a voice to the voiceless such that through the content they provide and the perspectives they share, the development agenda is determined by citizens.  In addition, community radio broadcasting restores citizens’ integrity; promotes transparency and accountability in governance; is cost effective; has immediacy of impact; and has the potential of creating thousands of job opportunities across the country.

·         If Nigeria is to make significant progress in its democratic development, it needs to harness the potential and capacity of community radio to foster community dialogue, build peace, strengthen the integrity of the electoral process, contribute to transparency and accountability of governance institutions at the grassroots and facilitate citizen’s participation in governance.

·         The failure of the Federal Government and the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to give effect to the announcement by President Goodluck Jonathan on October 19, 2010 on the delegation of authority to the NBC to issue licenses for community radio broadcasting in Nigeria continues to be a major source of concern to stakeholders as it undermines the credibility and authority of the Federal Government, particularly the Office of the President.

·         The failure of the Federal Government and the NBC to issue community radio licences also continues to deny dozens of communities across the country effective access to the media, limit their right to freedom of expression, and deprive them of development assistance and other benefits which would otherwise have accrued to them.

RECOMMENDATIONS

The participants therefore recommended as follows:

Government Agencies

·         The NBC should work with other relevant agencies and authorities within the Federal Government to urgently give effect to the announcement by President Jonathan on October 19, 2010 that he had delegated authority to the NBC to issue licenses for community radio broadcasting in Nigeria.

·         The NBC, as the regulatory body for the broadcast sector, should play a leading and pivotal role in resolving all outstanding issues impeding the licensing of community radio broadcasting, including by convening a high-level meeting among critical stakeholders in government to provide a platform for an open and frank discussion of challenges and concerns as well as for their resolution.

·         The NBC should develop a regulatory framework for community radio broadcasting in Nigeria, which can form the basis for further debates and discussions. Such a regulatory framework should define community radio; contain clear requirements for the granting of licenses for community radio stations; information about the licensing process and a regime of license fees, among other issues.

Nigeria Community Radio Coalition (NCRC)

• The NCRC should forge new alliances and build strategic partnerships with Government institutions, such as the National Orientation Agency (NOA), to push through a successful advocacy for community radio broadcasting in Nigeria.
• The NCRC should embark on a campaign of targeted advocacy aimed at relevant authorities within the Federal Government, particularly the Presidency, the Federal Ministry of Information, the Federal Ministry of Justice and the NBC to address any lingering concerns that they may have about community radio broadcasting in Nigeria and persuade them to give effect to President Jonathan’s pronouncement.
• The NCRC should explore the possibility of facilitating a programme of experience sharing between senior Nigerian government officials and senior officials of other relevant governments in West Africa in order to ensure a better understanding among the Nigerian authorities about the potential of community radio broadcasting, including for peace building and conflict resolution purposes.
• While it continues to pursue a policy framework for the actualization of community radio broadcasting in Nigeria, the NCRC should also explore the options of pursuing a clear statutory provision and a strong constitutional backing for community radio broadcasting. 

Communities

·         Even as they wait for broadcast licenses to be issued, communities proposing to establish community radio stations should take advantage of available and cheap new technologies to begin the process of content development, which can also be distributed online.  This will prepare them to become operational as soon as they receive their licences while at the same them helping them to build their capacities.

·         Communities intending to establish community radio stations should assess their capacity needs and develop concrete plans to address such needs, including by seeking support from development agencies and learning from the experiences of community radio stations in other countries in the West African region.

International Development Agencies and Partners

·         Development agencies should lend their strong voices to the advocacy efforts by constantly raising the issue of licensing community radio stations whenever they engage the NBC or other relevant government agencies or authorities.

·         Development agencies should assist communities and aspiring community radio operators with capacity-building support in the areas of management, programme development, acquisition of equipment and appropriate technologies  as well as other ways that may be possible within their respective mandates.

Adopted in Abuja this 22nd day of January 2013.

Official: Kaduna governor, 5 others die in helicopter crash in Bayelsa, Nigeria’s oil-rich delta

A navy helicopter crashed Saturday in the country’s oil-rich southern delta, killing  Governor Patrick Yakowa of Kaduna state and five other people, in the latest air disaster to hit Africa’s most populous nation, officials said.

Nigeria’s ruling party said in a statement that the governor of the central Nigerian state of Kaduna, Patrick Yakowa, died in the helicopter crash in Bayelsa state in the Niger Delta. The People’s Democratic Party’s statement described Yakowa’s death as a “colossal loss.”

The statement said the former national security adviser, General Andrew Azazi, also died in the crash. Azazi was fired in June amid growing sectarian violence in Nigeria, but maintained close ties with the government.

Yushau Shuaib, a spokesman for Nigeria’s National Emergency Management Agency, said four other bodies had been found, but he could not immediately give their identities.

According to Associated Press, the crash occurred at about 3:30 p.m. after the navy helicopter took off from the village of Okoroba in Bayelsa state where officials had gathered to attend the burial of the father of a presidential aide, said Commodore Kabir Aliyu. He said that the helicopter was headed for Nigeria’s oil capital of Port Harcourt when it crashed in the Nembe area of Bayelsa state.

Aviation disasters remain common in Nigeria, despite efforts in recent years to improve air safety.

In October, a plane made a crash landing in central Nigeria. A state governor and five others sustained injuries but survived.

In June, a Dana Air MD-83 passenger plane crashed into a neighborhood in the commercial capital of Lagos, killing 153 people onboard and at least 10 people on the ground. It was Nigeria’s worst air crash in nearly two decades.

In March, a police helicopter carrying a high-ranking police official crashed in the central Nigerian city of Jos, killing four people.

Women Are My Major Problem –Fatai Rolling Dollar

Fatai Olayiwola Olagunju, popularly known as Fatai Rolling Dollar, is an interesting personality. An octogenarian highlife music star, who returned to stardom at old age after many years of personal and professional setbacks, Rolling Dollar comes as an enigma. He exudes verve and agility as he does not look drawn by old age. According to him, he doesn’t drink, eat kola nuts or inhale snuff, habits which are common with old men. But he loves two things dearly: cigar and women. In this interview with ADAEZE AMOS, this husband of three wives professes his undying love for women. “Women are special creatures. If you want to do well in life, just love women,” he says.  Excerpts:

How did you hit the limelight?

I started from my youth, when I was much younger than this. When I passed out of school in 1944, and I lost my dad during that year, the next thing for me to do was to get ready to make people happy. That was why I made it a point of duty to go into music because I know my future is tailored towards music. I went to learn music. I didn’t just rely on the fact that my mother used to sing in the church. That wasn’t enough for me. I went to acquire the skill. I was under someone who taught me music. It took me a lot of years to learn music. In fact, I spent five years trying to acquire that skill.

What is your impression about today’s youths who just start singing just because they have got the voice?

That is why their albums are not selling. In our time, you give them what is going to happen through songs. We had messages in our songs. But today’s musicians don’t have messages.

So, you prefer your early days’ type of music to what today’s musicians are churning out?

Yes, our own type of music is better. Ours was the time of highlife. And without highlife, there was no music. Reason being that highlife was the root of music in Nigeria. If you hoped to be a sound musician that would be recognised all over the world, then you must go and learn it.

For how long have you been in Lagos?

I was born and bred in Lagos. I was born on July 22, 1926.

Could you compare Lagos of those years with what it is today?

Lagos of yester-years was indeed nice, yes, very nice. Not minding the fact that it wasn’t as developed as it is now but it was better to me. Maybe because we had easy life then. There was no armed robbery, no police harassment; you walked freely from 9pm till dawn. And if per chance you were hungry, you would get something to eat from the roadsides. You could have Amala (cassava or yam flour meal) or Iyan (pounded yam) at any time. They start to sell food by nine in the night till the morning of the next day.

What was it about life then that you are missing dearly now?

Peace! The peace we had then in Lagos State, we don’t have it now. I’m missing the peace we used to have then. We don’t have steady light now. During the British colonial rule, even in the heavy rain, or thunder storms, light would still be on. In fact, it never blinked. Amazingly, we didn’t have much dam. We were using Ajele dam. That was the only dam controlling the whole Lagos then.

What was your childhood like?

I was very rascally. Oh yes, when I was growing up, I was an original rascal.

And women loved you then?

Yes, they loved me because of my job. You know women love musicians. Apart from that, I was very handsome when I was much younger. I was light-skinned.

Tell us about your love life?

I’m admired by lots of women because I’m strong.

Where is the source of your strength?

God almighty is the source of my strength. I don’t smoke weed, I don’t take medicine but I smoke cigarette (he says, puffing hard on his cigarette). My strength is from God and can you imagine that today, all over the world, I’m the oldest musician that is still playing on the stage?

Why are you this strong even in your old age?

You know, there is something somebody should not take when he becomes old. I don’t take meat, for instance.  I’m off beer as well. But my major problem is women (he paused for a while, gazing up at the writer).

But you said you admire women a lot, how are they then your major problem?

I still say it that women are my major problem. I love them so much. You don’t blame me for that; after all, my mother is a woman and I loved her so much and she loved me. So, women are problems to me, especially when I see the beautiful ones. I admire them a lot and that admiration is from the bottom of my heart. Do you know I have a daughter of two years from my third wife? That goes to show how much I love women. Look at me, at my age, I’m stile agile and I’m still producing (giggles).

Are you romantic?

Yes I am, don’t I look it? At 86, I’m still very romantic. If I meet a woman who is not romantic, I would teach her to be romantic. I will teach the person the A, B, C of romance.

How many wives do you have?

I have two black women and one white woman. You know I travel a lot, so I met my white wife abroad and I married her.

Do you have a girlfriend now?

Yes, I have. I have up to 20.

Twenty? How are you able to be with all of them?

No, there is no sex in the relationship. We just stay together and I advise them. They bring goodies to me. You know women have power to bring good things. They have the power to open good doors of success. That is why we can’t do without them.

You know in Africa, women are looked down upon, what do you say about this?

People that do that are ignorant of the power of women. If a man wants to succeed in life, he should not frustrate women; he should be their friend. Let them like and admire you. Women can make you and they can mar you, if you take them for granted. This simply means that women can make something good and also have the power to make something terribly bad. That is the fact, whether you believe it or not. If you want to live long, don’t frustrate your woman, don’t maltreat her and don’t also underestimate her power. Believe me.

How about men who batter their wives at the slightest provocation?

I see them as weak boxers. I’m not a boxer; I’m a lover (giggles). I don’t beat women; I have never done that before in my life.

Most men, when they are old start having one ailment or the other. What ailment do you have?

None! No ailment at all.  I’m not managing any sickness. God is managing me.

If given another chance, would you love to take another wife?

Yes, why not? But it would be only under one condition. The condition is that the lady would write it down that she would be responsible to raise any child or children that come from the marriage or relationship. You know that I’m old. I’m not ready to take care of any child now. If you love me, you take care of your child from me.

What is your advice for younger musicians?

Know what to sing. Be watchful over the wordings of your songs. Don’t just sing rubbish. In my own time, if you are singing and you mention the word ‘breast’, they would destroy your record, honestly. Don’t be vulgar in your songs.

Culled form National Mirror.