Political Briefs
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ARISING from a 3-day retreat, Public Affairs Officers in Lagos State resolved to further escalate the policies, programmes and achievements of the Ambode’s Administration as well as make information available to the generality of Lagosians through MDAs irrespective of their location in the state.
Steve Ayorinde, State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, who read the communiqué at the end of a maiden retreat for Public Affairs Officers in the employ of the State government noted that they have now come up with strategies that would enable different strata of the society have adequate information on government’s policies and programmes at their fingertips.
He explained that towards achieving these goals, they have resolved to take advantage of the various social media platforms and deployment of communication technology to further disseminate government’s programs and policies.
According to him, public affairs officers have resolved to make the State government’s website active and very robust with a view to opening up the State government information gateway to the world.
He averred that the resolve will positively affect the state government’s drive towards attracting investment to the State as well as the Light Up Lagos Project and ensure the sustenance of the 24-hour economy in the State.
The Commissioner also re-echoed the readiness of the Officers to demonstrate more commitment to job delivery to the demands of information management in contemporary period.
Ayorinde further opined that Information Managers have realized that the traditional media have become grossly inadequate to cover all publics hence they have now resolved to key into the social media and use it to complement the traditional media in propagating government’s policies and programmes.
Said he, “In this new third age of political communication, public or political communication has been reshaped by five main trends such as intensified professionalization of political advocacy, increased competitive pressures, anti-elite popularization and populism, centrifugal diversification and audience reception of politics, thus we have also resolved to embrace new strategies of public information management in the State, public information management tool and challenges of public information management.”
He added that as part of efforts at further increasing their productivity level in information management in the state, Public Affairs Officers have further resolved to create a WhatsApps platform or chat room for engagement, interaction and information sharing among the citizenry.
The Commissioner added that in addition docu-drama, music and entertainment would also be used to compliment other traditional means of information dissemination in order to promote government policies and programmes.
Ayorinde agreed with the opinion of the public affairs officers that there is a need to continuously improve their capacity through local and overseas training programmes in order to effectively communicate government policies, plans and programmes
“The Ministry would provide ICT equipment for officers to enable them post stories and pictures from event venues whilst also broadening the policy of inclusiveness of Governor Ambode’s administration with an efficient communication strategy”, Ayorinde added.
They commended the Governor for approving the first ever retreat for Public Affairs Officers as well as the re-designation of their cadre from Press& Public Relations to Public Affairs as a move that would broaden their horizon in line with contemporary realities of public communication process.
— Apr. 10, 2016 @ 9:00 GMT
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