‘Info Policy Must Ensure Liberty’

Rivers State Governor Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi (middle) flanked by the Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria Uriel Palti(left) and his wife, when they paid a courtesy visit on the Governor at Government House, Port Harcourt.

The chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC),Prof Chidi Kalu, has said appropriate information management in a society must guarantee democratic liberties by creating a deep sense of participation of the citizenry in the process of governance.

Prof Kalu gave  the hint while delivering the keynote address at the first  Rivers State Council on Information, organised by the Rivers State Ministry of Information and Communications at the Hotel Presidential, Port Harcourt, yesterday.

Prof Kalu said a system that alienated the citizenry through denial of access to information, was doing a great disservice to the society. He decried a situation where the wielder of power who was supposed to serve the people, consider leadership as a favour to the people, and pointed out that absolute power belonged to the people.

According to the Prof, who spoke extemporaneously at the event, “government is only relevant when it energises the people to make meaningful contribution in the process of governance, as this fast tracts the prospect of  development.”

Commenting on the Nigerian scenario, Prof Kalu said there was disparity between the government and the governed, and blamed the slow pace of development and societal growth on the trend.

He noted that there was a symbiotic relationship between education and information management, and stated that every child should be given an opportunity to aspire through basic access to education as a right.

Prof Kalu, who lamented the obvious lack of citizenship awareness, called on the people to check irresponsibility in governance by asserting their rights to know what was happening in the process of governance.

He commended the Rivers State Government for its initiative as the first state to domesticate the National Council of Information, and charged the state government to come  up with a proper regulatory policy on information and communication that will make the state the voice of sanity at the national level.

Meanwhile, stakeholders in the information and communication sector have applauded the Rivers State Government over its initiative to organise the first state council on information and communication, as well as domesticate the national council on information.

The stakeholders gave their views while speaking at the council on information and communication organised by the Rivers State Ministry of Information and Communications at the Hotel Presidential Port Harcourt, yesterday.

Speaking at the event, a veteran media practitioner in Rivers State, Chief Olu Fubara commended the Rivers State Government over its policies on information and communications and hoped that the council would evolve a sustainable information management system in the state.

Chief Fubara, a pioneer chief press secretary to the governor in the old Rivers State, who chaired the event, said the proper management of information in the society would strengthen our democracy and enhance good governance.

He emphasised the need for training and capacity development among media practitioners to avert the prospect of being gents of disinformation.

Chief Fubara, a former General Manager of Rivers Broadcasting Corporation, also called for proper funding of state media houses to discharge their statutory functions effectively.

In his goodwill message, the National President of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, Mr Mohammed Garba, also lauded the Rivers State Government for engaging in a stakeholders platform to foster an effective information management system in the state.

The NUJ president, who was represented by the National Secretary, Shuaibu Leman, called on the Rivers State government to sustain the policy which he said , would boost transparency in governance.

Also speaking, the President of the Nigeria Guild of Editors, Femi Adesina said, the theme of the event, “Public Information as tool for good governance”, was apt and called on media practitioners and information and communication managers to avail themselves of the opportunity to contribute to a more virile information management system in the state.

Earlier, the Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs Ibim Semenitari had thanked the stakeholders for their participation.

The commissioner, said the council was geared towards evolving a policy that would conform with international best practices, and also enhance transparency and accountable stewardship in governance.

Taneh Beemene