By Ojotule Romanus
The newly appointed Permanent Secretary, Kogi State Ministry of Information and Communications, Mr. Awulu David, has assured information officers in the state of the needed support for effective information management, saying it remains very critical to the success of government and its policies.
Awulu made the commitment recently when the leadership of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), State Information Chapel, led by its Chairman, Mr. Solomon Musa, paid him a courtesy visit at his office in Lokoja to formally introduce the newly elected executives of the chapel.
The Permanent Secretary, who described the position of leadership as a privilege and a responsibility entrusted to individuals by the people, urged the new NUJ Information Chapel leadership to justify the confidence reposed in them by members.
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He advised the executives to remain accountable, trustworthy and committed to the welfare and professional advancement of members.
Awulu particularly emphasised the strategic importance of information officers to government, describing them as the “eyes” of the Ministry of Information and Communications and key players in communicating government policies, programmes and achievements to the public.
According to him, the success of the ministry is closely tied to the effectiveness of its information officers, stressing that the leadership of the ministry must provide the necessary support and working environment for them to perform optimally.
The Permanent Secretary also encouraged the chapel leadership to always communicate its needs and challenges to his office, assuring them that issues within his capacity would receive prompt attention, while matters requiring higher-level intervention would be referred appropriately.
He said his door are wide open to members of the chapel, just as he urged them to see the ministry as their own home and as such they should not hesitate to approach him whenever they required his intervention.
He assured the chapel that he would support programmes that would contribute to the professional development and welfare of information officers, urging the leadership to formally present its proposals for consideration.
Earlier, the Chairman of the NUJ State Information Chapel, Mr. Solomon Musa, said the visit was aimed at formally introducing the newly elected executives to the Permanent Secretary as the Chief Accounting Officer of the Ministry and to seek his support and that of the ministry for the chapel’s activities.
Musa introduced the new executives, including the Vice Chairman, Mrs. Olajumoke Ajani, a State Information Officer with the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs; Secretary, Miss Gloria Amodu, State Information Officer with the Ministry of Works; Treasurer, Mr. Salau Ibrahim of SEMA; Financial Secretary, Mrs. Mariam Tenimu, State Information Officer with the Ministry of Environment; and Auditor, Mr. Abah Benjamin Eneojoh Treasure, State Information Officer at Government House.
Musa further appealed for the ministry’s continued support for the chapel’s annual professional and social programme, which brings together serving and retired information officers, including former Permanent Secretaries and Directors who had served in the information sector.
He recalled that the inaugural edition of the programme held last year provided an opportunity for retired senior officers to share their experiences with younger information officers, describing the engagement as an avenue for knowledge transfer and mentorship.
According to him, the chapel intends to make this year’s edition bigger and more impactful, with plans to incorporate activities including a visit to an orphanage, sporting activities and professional lectures designed to strengthen the capacity of members.
He also sought the support of the ministry for the enrolment of chapel members into the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), noting that the proposal had previously been discussed with the relevant authorities.
In his contributions, the chapel’s Auditor, Mr. Abah Benjamin Eneojoh,had emphasised the need for government to continue strengthening State Public Relations Officers and other information professionals, noting that adequately supported information officers would be better positioned to effectively communicate government policies and achievements to the people.
He commended the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Hon. Kingsley Fanwo, for his consistent support for the activities of the chapel and his commitment to the rebranding and repositioning of Kogi State through effective communication.
