Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) in
collaboration with Partnership for Advocacy in Child and Family Health (PACFaH)
held a 2-Day training on Legislative Advocacy for Accountability Media in Child
and Family Health. The training held at Nasarawa Guest House, Kano state on 25th
and 26th May, 2016 was attended by about 25 accountability journalists. The
training aimed at bringing selected and reputable journalists under one roof
for training on appropriate skills and knowledge to effectively demand
accountability in child and family health from the legislatures. After
exhaustive deliberations on various thematic issues, we the participants:
Recognise that the United States donor agencies under Section 501(c)(3) of
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 are totally prohibited from lobby activities;
and relevant media demanding accountability under the agencies’ projects and
programmes must uphold and strictly adhere to the lobby-free provisions in
their related coverage and reportage.
Also recognise that legislative advocacy is a deliberate process with
demonstrated evidence to indirectly influence the legislators to support or
pass a specific legislation; and lobby aims at directly influencing the
legislators to support or pass a specific legislation.
Further recognise that government has the
responsibility to commit necessary resources to health sector; and relevant
stakeholders have the right to know how much and on what are the national/state
resources expend on child and family health.
Express concern over preventable loopholes in the 2016 national budget, unchecked
mismanagement of pubic treasury and persistent high cost of governance in the
legislature despite inadequate budgetary allocation to child and family health.
Also express concern over poor political will towards full
implementation of various national and international commitments on child and
family health.
Note that proactive effort by Government of
Nigeria to ensure adequate understanding of the current budgetary system will
command appropriate compliance to required standards in the budgetary
preparation and implementation.
Also note that encouraged and well-funded independent media will prompt
investigative journalism, evidence-based advocacy, comprehensive coverage and
reportage on legislative accountability in child and family health.
Further note that inclusive and participatory media
in material design and development will enhance ownership in data modification and
utilisation to demand accountability in child and family health.
Affirm coalition building and proper networking among accountability
journalists for appropriate update and data validation to inform accurate and
credible reportage in child and family health.
Commit to embrace high level transparency,
accountability, creativity and due diligent with verifiable evidence and strictly
adhere to specific objective in coverage and reportage on child and family
health through constant follow-up, period evaluation, investigative journalism,
content sharing, and field study.
Also commit to effectively utilise existing
legislation such Freedom of Information Act (FOI) in engaging all levels of
governments for in-depth investigation, data validation to demand
accountability in child and family health.
Will adopt constructive and proactive
strategies to break related barriers and impending challenges confronting citizen
participation, effective coverage and reportage in child and family health
Shall effectively engage the legislatures on their primary responsibilities—law-making,
oversight, representation, constituency outreach, financial control,
confirmation of appointment, and constitutional amendment—to demand
accountability in child and family health
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