Media
Stallion Times tasks CSOs, Media on constituency projects monitoring, tracking
By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja.
Media Content Development Expert, Mallam Isiyaku Ahmed, has called on Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and the Media to promote Citizens’ engagement in budgeting processes and ensure effective budget monitoring to achieve inclusive growth for states.

Ahmed made the call at a two-day training workshop on “Tracking Constituency Projects” Get Involved Dialogue And Improve Project (GDRIP) on Thursday in Lokoja.
Ahmed who is also the Chief Executive Officer/Editor-in-Chief, Stallion Times Media Services Ltd, urged them to make room for constituency projects monitoring and tracking the progress of such projects to ensure maintenance of standards.
He further enjoined CSOs and Media to ensure projects are assigned to appropriate Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) with the requisite mandate and capacity of overseeing them.
“The incapability of many MDAs to effectively supervise project implementation has led to poor execution of many projects, thereby wasting taxpayers funds”, he said.
Ahmed urged the CSOs and Media to advocate for Standardised Platforms for Procurement especially, the establishment of E-procurement platforms to help government trim costs, check price inflation and set price guide for contracts.
Speaking in same vein on Budget Processes and Procedures, Mr Henry Omokhaye of BudgIT and one of the resource persons said proper monitoring and tracking of Constituency Projects would help enhance good governance.
He said that laudable as the concept of constituency projects was, the implementation had often made nonsense of the good intensions behind it, making the objective unrealisable and depriving the constituents.
According to Omokhaye, the process of constituency project is often characterised by anomalies such as duplication of projects in annual budgets, shoddy execution of jobs
and in many cases, outright non-implementation.
He said because of the abnormalities in the implementation of constituency projects, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) came up with a programme called Constituency Project Tracking Group ( CPTG) in 2019, to change the narrative.
Omokhaye disclosed that CPTG recovered N 2billion representing money recovered from projects not executed and money collected.
The workshop, according to the organisers aimed to build capacity of media and CSOs on budget processes and procedures and as well, train journalists and CSO advocates on how to track and monitor constituency projects.
It was also aimed at improving Journalists’ capacity in writing investigative stories on constituency projects.
The workshop took the media professionals CSO members through Budget Processes and Procedures, use of Media for Effective Advocacy, Budget Impact Analysis, Tracking Constituency Projects, Network and Coalition Building and Characteristics of Effective Coalition.
The workshop was organised by Stallion Times Media Services limited in collaboration with the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism and supported by MacArthur Foundation.
Media
Veteran Broadcaster Reuben Okala is new head of Abuja station of Kaftan TV

Kaftan TV has engaged the professional services of a veteran broadcaster, Reuben Okala, to lead the Abuja office as head of station.
The move by the station is to reposition the quality of news reportage, current affairs and other interesting programs for satisfaction of it’s viewers
Reuben Okala, who is expected to resume with emmidiate effect, is bringing on board his wealth of experience that spans close to thirty years, as a multitasking professional in journalism trenches at Nigeria’s premier television station, the Nigeria Television Authority-NTA.
Chief Executive Officer of Kaftan tv, Waheed Odusule, unveiled the new station helmsman, on Tuesday, at a general meeting with staff of the fast rising television station.
He admonished them to continue to work hard, while promising to look into their welfare and other emoluments. Odusule who said that their is no room for laziness at Kaftan tv, as hard work will be rewarded just as any staff that engages in professional misconduct will be shown the way out.
In his brief remark, representative of the founder of Kaftan tv, who also doubles as it’s consultant, noted that the founder, Prince Adewale Adebayo, places greater premium on professionalism for the overall success of the station, and that was why the decision to bring Reuben Okala becomes more than imperative.
In his bief remark, the new head of Abuja station, Reuben Okala, expressed satisfaction with the facilities he’s seen at the station when he was conducted round on a facility tour.
He urged them to be creative by carving a nitch for themselves, noting that collectively Kaftan tv can be taken to greater hieghts.
The new head of station admonished them to believe in themselves and their creator if they must achieve individual success, promoting that hard work will be rewarded under his watch as head of station in Anuja.
Media
Senate to tell its own story as it births in-house magazine

The Senate has officially unveilled its in-house publication, “10th Senate,” to the public as it expressed the believe that its story can’t be better told by the third party
Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Yemi Adaramodu who unveiled the magazine on the floor of the upper Chamber said the new publication”is an embodiment of the Senate’s commitment to open dialogue and effective communication with Nigerian people within and outside. “Within its pages, you will find a tapestry of stories, insights, and ideas that reflect the rich chronicle of our nation. It will serve as a platform for the Senate to share its legislative achievements, initiatives, and aspirations, while also providing a voice to the diverse voices of our citizenry. ”
“As we embark on this journey together, let us embrace the power of knowledge and dialogue. Let us seize this opportunity to strengthen the bond between the Senate and the people, as we work hand in hand towards a brighter future for our beloved nation. ”
Addressing newsmen shortly after plenary, Senator Adaramodu, who incidentally is the Editor-in-Chief of the magazine said the lawmakers are anxious to drive their own narrative in the public, conscious of the space constraints in the traditional media.
He said:” It will be a quarterly magazine to chronicle activities of the Senate which the traditional media may not give attention.
“Today, at the chamber, the Media Committee birthed a magazine to show the other areas that you our partners haven’t been able to showcase.
“We know that in the newsrooms there are deluge of news items fighting for space. You pick the ones that are immediate. That’s why we come up with this quarterly magazine , Tenth Senate.
Our story can’t be better told by the third party, we want to tell it ourselves
“We want the people of Nigeria to know that we are representing them adequately. We don’t want to restrict ourselves to just the hallowed chamber.”
Asked by journalists, if fund for publication of the magazine would be from public fund appropriated for the National Assembly, Adaramodu clarified that individual lawmakers would finance the publication.
“It is to be financed by Senators, we are contributing to run it to shore up our image, we aren’t going to take money either through Appropriation or other sources.”.
Media
Kogi Governor’s media adviser condemns attack on Akoni TV

The Special Adviser on Media to Kogi State Governor, Ismaila Isah has expressed sympathy with the Chief Executive Officer of an online television channel in the state, Akoni TV, Deborah Agbonika, over the robbery attack and vandalisation of the Online Television Studio in Lokoja.
Some yet to be identified hoodlums were reported to have gained access to the property of Akoni TV by 200 unit housing estate junction in Lokoja on Sunday night, vandalized the studio and carted away equipments worth millions of Naira.
In a statement made available to newsmen in Lokoja, the Special Adviser to Governor Usman Ododo condemned the act describing it as an affront on journalism in the state.
He urged the management of the online TV channel not to be deterred by the incident as it is only a set back which is incapable of retarding its effort to disseminate factual and timely information to its audience and teeming followers within and outside the state
While calling on security agencies to investigate the attack and ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice, the Media adviser restated that the administration of Governor Ododo would not condone criminal elements and their nefarious activities especially where it tramples on the symbol of freedom of expression any where in the state.
Ismaila assured that the organization would be given needed support to ameliorate immediate challenges faced as a result of the robbery and damage to its facilities.
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