Information Stakeholders Canvass Free, Fair Polls

Ahead of the 2015 general elections in the country, stakeholders in the information sector have described free, fair and transparent elections as a panacea for good governance.

A communiqué made available to newsmen at the end of a one-day state council on information orgainsed by the Rivers State Ministry of information and Communications in Port Harcourt, also urged  for government ‘s support to media professionals, civil society groups and all stakeholders to ensure that information was made accessible to the public.

The communiqué also called for synergy between information management and education which is a vital tool to mobilise the citizenry for development as well as  promote public access to information.

Signed by Medline Tador, the General Manager of the Rivers State Broadcasting Corporation, Celestine Ogolo, General Manager, Rivers State Newspaper Corporation, Shuaibu Usman Leman, National Secretary, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and Yemisi Bamgbose, National President of RATTAWU, it also urged the government to effectively use the social media for information dissemination.

The communiqué , which urged stakeholders to undertake  careful study of the draft information policy with a view to making inputs, also enjoined media practitioners to test the Freedom of Information Act.

It also endorsed the setting up of community-based newspapers to allow for citizens participation in the democratic process, while advising media orgainsations to review their marketing strategies to boost revenue.