A’Ibom creating opportunities for public enlightenment, says info commissioner
Akwa Ibom State commissioner for information and strategy Ini Ememobong
Towards clearing wrong perceptions about government activities and projects, Akwa Ibom State Government has avenues for public engagements and clarifications on issues.
The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Ini Ememobong, made this known on Wednesday, during the opening of a two-day inter-ministerial briefing, organised by the ministry for relevant sectors of the economy at the Emerald Event Centre, along Edet Akpan Avenue in Uyo.
Ememobong, who was setting the tone for the parley, said it became necessary to sensitise the public to the true position of government’s projects, programmes and activities, to put paid to some nagging and negative stories being peddled against government by some cynics and unscrupulous members of the public.
He expressed worry that after seven and half years of governance with numerous record of achievements in all sectors, some disparaging news items still cropped up, which negate the true position of the Governor Udom Emmanuel administration.
He said: “We have, therefore, brought every section of the society together here to find out the reason the stories and reports sent out do not correspond with what we have on ground in the state,” Ememobong stressed.
“Emmanuel has constructed numerous roads in the state, such as the Uyo-Etinan-Ndon Eyo Road, including the Ikot Oku Ikono flyover, but someone will write that there is no road in Akwa Ibom State.”
He urged participants, drawn from labour organisations, professional bodies, traditional institutions, religious bodies, women and youth groups to ask questions for clarification on any sector during the two-day confab.
In his presentation on “Governance, Transparency and Responsibility,” the Dean, Communication and Media Studies, University of Uyo, Prof. Peter Esuh, described governance as a nine-plank system, including: Ethics, Responsibility, Accountability and Equity. Others are: Responsiveness, Effectiveness, Efficiency, Rule of Law and Participation.
The commissioners, who presented their scorecards at the parley were Dr. Offiong Offor, Ministry of Agriculture; Elder Aniefiok Nkom, Ministry of Labour and Manpower Planning and Prof. Eno Ibanga, Ministry of Works and Fire Service.
