In a bid to enhance its role in holding governments accountable, journalists from Gombe, Adamawa, Taraba and Bauchi including Plateau have vowed to adopt the practice of audit reporting.
They said the constitutionally mandated audit reports contain critical and significant information deserving broader exposure.
The recommendation highlights the communique of the Fifth Audit Reporting Workshop organised by FrontFoot Media Initiative, with support from Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism and MacArthur Foundation.
It was held at the Emerald Luxury Suites Hotel in Gombe State.
PERISCOPE NIGERIA reports that the 46 participants were drawn from broadcast, online, and print media.
The Fifth Audit Reporting Training had the following resolutions:
A. Called on journalists to intensify their watchdog role in monitoring governments at state and local levels.
B. The media must take the lead in implementing audit reporting. By doing so, they can provide more comprehensive coverage of public financial management, thereby significantly contributing to government accountability.
C. The urgency and importance of this issue necessitate FrontFoot Media to organise repeat sessions of the Media Audit Reporting Training. Given its undeniable utility in promoting government transparency, this will continue until the practice of audit reporting becomes established in the media.
The chairman, Umar Said, a member, Victoria Roland Andekin, and the secretary, Chika Udenkwo, signed the communique.
