Niger state Commissioner for Information and strategy, Hon. Binta Mamman, has urged press secretaries to the 25 local government council Chairmen in the state to he professional in discharging their duties.
Hon. Binta Mamman gave the charge on Saturday, at the induction ceremony of the local government press secretaries, under the banner of Niger state Press Secretaries Forum, held at Abdulsalami Youths Centre, Minna.
She observed that information dissemination was very vital to societal development, but advised on the need to filter the information before sending it out to the public as one wrong information can cause alot of damage to the society.
The Commissioner added that she understands the local government press secretaries were doing image laundering for their respective principals but that they should send the right message at the right time.
She added that the present administration under the leadership of Governor Mohammed Umar Bago, would need all the publicity it could get for people to know and understand the policy direction of the government, urging the local government press secretaries to key into the New Niger Agenda of the present administration.
The Commissioner also disclosed that the information arena in the state was bedevilled with some challenges but that it will soon be a thing of the past, urging media practitioners in the state to be objective in their reportage as the government welcomes healthy criticism.
She also appreciated members of the Forum for organizing the event and urged them to synergize with information officers of their respective local government areas, assuring them of her office readiness to collaborate and work with them for the development of the state.
In his remarks at the event, the state Commissioner for Communication Technology And Digital Economy, Hon. Suleiman Isah who was represented by the permanent secretary of the ministry, Dr. Musa Abubakar Sadiq said the world of today cannot do without technology as we have now moved from the paper and pen era in information dissemination.
He disclosed that already there was plan on ground to train members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in the state on Cyber Security, adding that they will include members of the press secretaries forum in the training, stressing the need to sit with the two associations to workout the training needs of their members.
In his presentation on the theme of the event, "The Role of the Media in Community Development," the guest speaker who is equally the Chairman of Niger state council of NUJ, Comrade Abu Nmodu, observed that less emphasis should be placed on personalities but the issues that are germane to the progress of the communities.
He stressed the need for information managers at the local government levels to be well trained in order to understand the mechanics of information dissemination for community mobilization which aimed at development instead of depending on social media that often than not create worst image and less trust.
The NUJ chairman who was represented by his council secretary, Alh. Usman Chiji, added that the media must set agenda to meet specific needs of the communities to the extent that people can easily be galvanized at social, economic and political front, urging the local government press secretaries not to do things that will make people to cast aspersions on their principals.
Former Chief Press Secretary to the immediate past governor of the state, Mrs. Mary Noel Barje, the Press Secretary to the deputy governor, Hajiya Ummikhaltume Abdullahi Kuta and others, were the discussants at the event, where they separately underscore the importance of the media in community development, and also gave some tips to the local government press secretaries on how to succeed in their assignment.