BY UBON EKANEM, CALABAR – To enhance effective mandate delivery by the Cross River State Ministry of Information and Orientation, Information officers in the State have been tasked with being innovative and creative in the performance of their duties.
Accordingly, they must brace up for the new realities of reviving and re-energizing the production of the Ministry’s publications such as the Giant Strides Magazine, Kaleidoscope, and Daily News Bulletin among others.
The new Director of Information in the State, Mrs Roseline Irek threw the challenge at her inaugural meeting with the Information Officers, saying all hands must be on deck to reposition the Ministry and align it with the Government’s vision of promoting the State’s positive values, its image, and overall endowment to Cross Riverians, Nigerians, and the Diaspora.
Mrs Irek said it is imperative to revitalise the Ministry’s signature tunes of positively projecting Cross River as a leading state with “prosperous, healthy and well-educated citizens living in harmony with people and nature and pursuing their legitimate interests in freedom moderated by good governance.”
On that account, she urged the Information Officers to be inventive in performing their duties, especially in churning out developmental stories, news analyses, and commentaries, in addition to committed reportage of events in their respective beats.
Furthermore, the Director promised regular interface with relevant Agencies to assist the Ministry in producing its various publications, adding that the Officers would henceforth be put in clusters to write editorials and commentaries as well as produce documentaries on specialized areas and developmental strides made by the State government
Also addressing the forum, the Director of Administration, Ministry of Information and Orientation, Chief Thomas Atem urged Information Officers to shun truancy and lateness to work so as not to hamper the Ministry’s service delivery to the public
He however assured that efforts would be made in liaison with relevant agencies for their training and re-training towards more productive output going forward.
In their responses, some of the Information officers not only expressed their resolve to embrace the new challenges but also promised to be visionary in delivering on their responsibilities as image makers of the State.
