The Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Dr Austin Tam-George, has charged journalists and Civil Society Organisations in the state to be proactive in their roles as society’s vanguard by holding government to account at all times.
The commissioner gave the charge in his office in Port Harcourt yesterday when the leadership of the Rivers State Council of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) and coalition of civil society organizations, under the aegis of Civil Society Platform, paid him a courtesy visit.
The commissioner, who described the NUJ and Civil Society platform as the  custodians of the conscience of society, said public accountability can only be upheld when these critical stakeholders exert vigilance on the activities of government.
Tam-George, who decried the financial recklessness of the immediate past administration in Rivers State, said the previous administration of Governor Chibuike Amaechi had a field day in the looting of public funds because of the lack of effective advocacy and checks on the part of civil society organizations and journalists in the state.
He accused the Amaechi administration of politicizing development in Rivers State, as the government was characterized by frivolity in the management of public funds, which resulted in what he referred to as a catastrophic legacy and failed management pedigree. He pointed out that the Amaechi’s government received over N3trillion in eight years, but left the highest number of abandoned projects in the state.
The commissioner, who stated that the Amaechi administration would be held accountable to its misdeed, stressed the need for all critical stakeholders in the state to contribute their quota in upholding public accountability and trust.
He said the Governor Nyesom Wike administration had within six months in the saddle, demonstrated its commitment to the development of the state through the implementation of projects with direct bearing on the lives of the people of Rivers State.
Tam-George, who assured the  readiness of the Wike’s administration to partner with the NUJ and  Civil Society Organisations in Rivers state, said his ministry will live up to its expectations as a frontier of information dissemination and not operate on propaganda and deceit.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Rivers State council of the NUJ, Mr Ayo Tamuno had said that the  leadership of the Rivers State council of NUJ was on the courtesy visit to felicitate with the information commissioner over his appointment and to partner with the ministry in the effective information dissemination in Rivers State.
Also, the group leader of Civil Society Platform, Amb Emmanuel Nweke, stated that the coalition was in the commissioner’s office to register its solidarity and to partner with the ministry on issues on information management in the state.

Taneh Beemene