African journalists asked to inform citizens and hold governments accountable
The 8th African Development Forum (ADF VIII) started off with a media workshop for all the journalists covering the conference Sunday October 21, 2012 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The Forum, jointly organised by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) the African Union Commission (AUC) and the African Development Bank (AfDB), is a major development agenda conference on Africa’s future.
Senior officials of the ECA and the AUC engaged the journalists from several African countries including from Europe in discussions and debate around the Forum’s main theme.
The three day conference to be held October 23-25 2012 is under the theme: “Governing and Harnessing Natural Resources for Africa’s Development”.
Speaking to the journalists, Mr. Yinkah Adeyemi, of the Information and Communications Services Unit of the ECA, told the journalists that it is their duty to hold African governments responsible. He said the amount of money that is illegally taken out of Africa is over $50 billion every year. He urged the journalists to help track, stop the flow and return the money.
A High-Level Panel on Illicit Financial Flows from Africa, an African Union-endorsed think-tank charged with recommending appropriate policies to counter the phenomenon and seek repatriation of the stolen moneys back to the continent headed by former South African President, Thabo Mbeki has already started work.
He encouraged the journalists to write to inform their citizens and hold their governments accountable.
Mr. Antonio Pedro, ECA head in Rwanda, told the journalists that the extractive industries in Africa have little linkages to other sectors of the economy, indicating that even though there is a high foreign direct investment in the sector, “there is no reflection on development outcomes.”
He said even though the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) has been adopted by most African countries, it should be domesticated by these countries.
According to him, it is important for African countries to invest in other sectors of the economy apart from mining as natural resources are non-renewable.
He said countries must address the enclave nature of mining by using mining rents to develop other sectors of the economy.
He argued that conversations on mining shouldn’t be between governments and the companies alone, but should involve other stakeholders like the media.
“An informed and responsible media should help shape government decisions,” he said.
In her remarks, Mrs. Wynne Musabayana, Deputy Head of Division Communication of the AUC, reiterated the fact that the media is important in the ongoing discussions.
She said because citizens have the right to know, the media serves as the interlink between institutions and the people.
Mrs. Musabayana said the process of Africa’s development must be participatory and driven by citizens.
She therefore called on the media to insist that African leaders implement decisions they take at AU and other meetings in their countries.
By Emmanuel K. Dogbevi
African journalists should assist in reporting and informing money siphone out of the continent by government as well as leaders at all levels in society. Leaders in every part of the continent should be accountable to their people.