Plateau State Gov lacks information management ethics -- NUJ
Gov. Simon Lalong
The
Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Correspondents’ Chapel, yesterday
faulted the style of information management of the Governor Simon Bako
Lalong administration; even as it linked it to the fact that its media
appointments ‘lack professionals.’
A statement signed by its Chairman, Aminu Yusuf Idegwu and Secretary, Peter Amine, that many state correspondents have not been invited to cover government functions for the past seven months of the administration, even as the Director of Press and Special Assistant on Media to the governor would always refuse to pick calls or switch off their phones completely when journalists want to clarify issues concerning government.
According to the strongly worded statement, “We have observed that Governor Simon Bako Lalong has an unwieldy idea of managing government’s image, or merely appreciates the challenges of information management as a casual vocation that can be approached however haphazardly.
“It is therefore, understandable why there are lapses, stagnations, discrepancies, and several avoidable professional flaws in the management of official information in the past seven months of the Lalong administration in Plateau State.
“The
aggregate of these include a fundamental difficulty in reporting or
covering government activities. In as much as we advise that the
business of public governance should not be made to appear as being run
on the norms of a confraternity, we call on Governor Lalong to review
and overhaul his information management team for quality control,
professional output, and optimal performance.
“Apart from lack of professionalism, we observe also that the governor’s appointments into his information management team are faltering, rather than complementary and capable of putting together a professionally cohesive and efficient team that can promptly and dutifully respond to matters arising within government’s information environment.
“Except for the appointment of one special assistant on media, that has a semblance of experience and professional consideration, the rest so far, from the director of press affairs to the commissioner of information, is a regime of rewarding party foot soldiers with what is available.”
The statement further noted that, “Besides, rather than productivity and results, what has been issuing forth from the information team is power play, self esteem, ego massage, and low output. Since his appointment, the special assistant on media does not seem to have clear idea of the duties of his office; just as the director of press affairs appears unprofessionally debriefed to the point of not realising the damage he does to the governor and his activities as he habitually shuns telephone calls or inquiries from journalists.”
“We
must note, for example, that ever since, the press directorate has
never made the weekly public function itinerary of the governor
available to the press for effective coverage. This has negative
implications for government’s laudable programmes and activities as was
the case of under reporting of the governor’s visit to the internally
displaced persons’ camp last Christmas day.
“Again, we must reiterate that output had been poor due to low concentration and lack of professional modulation. We have as example here the speeches of the governor so far which are mostly ill edited, like the speech on the occasion of inauguration of the commissioners.”
A statement signed by its Chairman, Aminu Yusuf Idegwu and Secretary, Peter Amine, that many state correspondents have not been invited to cover government functions for the past seven months of the administration, even as the Director of Press and Special Assistant on Media to the governor would always refuse to pick calls or switch off their phones completely when journalists want to clarify issues concerning government.
According to the strongly worded statement, “We have observed that Governor Simon Bako Lalong has an unwieldy idea of managing government’s image, or merely appreciates the challenges of information management as a casual vocation that can be approached however haphazardly.
“It is therefore, understandable why there are lapses, stagnations, discrepancies, and several avoidable professional flaws in the management of official information in the past seven months of the Lalong administration in Plateau State.
“Apart from lack of professionalism, we observe also that the governor’s appointments into his information management team are faltering, rather than complementary and capable of putting together a professionally cohesive and efficient team that can promptly and dutifully respond to matters arising within government’s information environment.
“Except for the appointment of one special assistant on media, that has a semblance of experience and professional consideration, the rest so far, from the director of press affairs to the commissioner of information, is a regime of rewarding party foot soldiers with what is available.”
The statement further noted that, “Besides, rather than productivity and results, what has been issuing forth from the information team is power play, self esteem, ego massage, and low output. Since his appointment, the special assistant on media does not seem to have clear idea of the duties of his office; just as the director of press affairs appears unprofessionally debriefed to the point of not realising the damage he does to the governor and his activities as he habitually shuns telephone calls or inquiries from journalists.”
“Again, we must reiterate that output had been poor due to low concentration and lack of professional modulation. We have as example here the speeches of the governor so far which are mostly ill edited, like the speech on the occasion of inauguration of the commissioners.”
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