Tuesday, 7 June 2016

DECLARATION OF ACTION AFTER A 2-DAY TRAINING ON LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY FOR ACCOUNTABILITY MEDIA IN CHILD AND FAMILY HEALTH ORGANISED BY CIVIL SOCIETY LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY CENTRE (CISLAC) IN COLLABORATION WITH PARTNERSHIP FOR ADVOCACY IN CHILD AND FAMILY HEALTH (PACFaH) HELD AT NASARAWA GUEST HOUSE, KANO STATE ON 25TH AND 26TH MAY, 2016




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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