Delta Information Commissioner Tasks Officers On Understanding Of issues Before Publishing

By JOHNSON EBIGIDE

Delta State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Charles Aniagwu, has tasked the information officers in the state Ministry of Information to always have thorough understanding of every issue before writing and publishing on it.

Mr. Aniagwu gave the charge during the opening of a one-day workshop on the workings of the state website and social media platforms for public relations officers in the state, organised by the state Orientation Bureau at the Government House in Asaba, the state capital.

He said that as a reservoir of knowledge meant for public consumption, every information officer in the ministry should critically understudy any issue for proper understanding before writing and publishing about it to forestall misleading the public, adding that every news item going out from the ministry must by authentic, reliable and verifiable at any given time.

Aniagwu commended the organisers of the workshop, saying that the training was apt as it would build the capacity of the participants to effectively deliver in the discharge of their duties, just as he enjoined the officers to take something home from the workshop and make it to bear in the discharge of their duties.

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Speaking in the same vein, the Director-General of the state Orientation Bureau, Eugene Azuka Uzum Esq, stressed the pivotal role of information officers in interfacing between the state government and the public, adding that there was the urgent need for continuous retooling of the officers for effective information management and delivery in the state.

Uzum said that the workshop was an annual training programme to continue to enhance the capacity of the officers in line with global trending Information Communication Technology (ICT) approaches, adding that its impacts had manifested greatly in the coordinated development of the contents of the state website with vital information from ministries and other agencies in the state.

He urged the participants to take the training serious and continue to justify it through effective discharge of their duties.

Declaring the workshop open, the Chairman of the occasion, Sir Emmanuel Okafor, Senior Special Assistant to the governor of the state on Civil Service Matters and retired Permanent Secretary from the state civil service, said that there was the need for information officers in the state not only to continue to build up their reservoir of knowledge by constantly studying the contents of the state website, but also refreshing it up with vital information from their respective ministries and agencies in the state.

He enjoined the participants to take advantage of the training by updating their knowledge in ICT and best practices in social media Networkings, just as he added that they should bring the knowledge gained from the training to bear in the discharge of their duties.

Two resource persons, Messrs Greatpaul Okonkwor and Paul Uche Monye took vital topics on “Social Media And Website Management” and “Digital Skills And Tools For The New Normal” respectively.

In a vote of thanks the Director of Orientation, Mrs Stella Macaulay, lauded the state governor, Senator (Dr) Ifeanyi Okowa, for approving the training and commended the managerial astuteness of the DG and other personnel in the bureau for effectively and successfully organising it, just as she commended those in attendance, including the Commissioner for Information, Mr. Aniagwu; Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Mr. Paul Osahor; Director of Information, Mrs Theresa Adiabua-Oliko; Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Olisa Ifeajika; Senior Special Assistant to the Governor, Mr. Nelson Egwuare, chairman of the occasion, Sir Okafor; resource persons and participants, even as she appreciated God for making the training a success.