Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari has urged stakeholders in the State to think global but act local. Mrs. Semenitari said this during the just concluded State Council on Information in Port Harcourt with the theme “PUBLIC INFORMATION AS A TOOL FOR GOOD GOVERNANCE”.
She noted that the theme for the event is in keeping with Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi’s vision of a public information sector that is proactive and people centric. According to her “Governor Amaechi on assumption of office made a commitment to serve the people of Rivers State with humility, but more importantly to be an accountable stewardship anchored on integrity and good governance”, she said.
The Commissioner stated that the event was to create a platform for stakeholders both in public and private sphere of the information sector to come together and share ideas on how to enhance their practice and improve service delivery to the public. Mrs. Semenitari added that “Rivers State Government is one of the frontline states that wholly supported the quest of media practitioners, civil society groups and well meaning citizens to make Government Information accessible to the public.
She noted that “Government information must be made open and accessible to the public as Rivers State was the first to pass fiscal responsibility law and also the first ever open government summit”, she stated. The Commissioner disclosed that Rivers State government has through the Ministry of Information and Communications worked openly to support the cause for the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) in the interest of the nation.
Mrs. Semenitari said the government had held a special workshop on FOIA for members of the Rivers State House of Assembly and management staff on Information led by the Chairman House Committee on Information, Hon. Onari Brown. She also noted that this administration had supported the Nigerian Press Council (NPC) to train over 100 journalists from South East and South South at the State’s Songhai farm in Bunu, Tai Local Government Area.
