By Julius Oweh
After nearly eight months of information lacuna marked by some inefficient media aides manning the information machinery, yesterday the Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori broke the jinx by the swearing in of information commmissioner.
Dr Micheal Ifeanyi Osuoza, a graduate of liberal arts with PhD in strategic studies is the new captain of the Information ship with a lot of sailors. For more than seven months, the Information ship of the state was notorious for issuing press statements, with the principal secluded from the preying eyes of the mass media.
The first function of Osuoza is to demystify the notion that Oborevwori is press shy. This writer will not be distracted by the rumour that the governor lacks the capacity to tackle the media. I am talking of media interrscative session with journalists. For eight months running, the governor has not really engaged the media. Governors Emmanuel Uduaghan and Ifeanyi Okowa did that with religious attention. The case of Oborevwori should not be in a league of its own. It is therefore the burden of the Information Commissioner to convince his principal on the imperative of media interrscative session.
The beauty of the media parley is that reporters would get first hand information from the states helmsman.
The second issue that the Information Commissioner should tackle is the dynamic world of journalism. The invention of the internet had opened a new vista of journalism. I am talking of online journalism and citizen journalism. The traditional media of radio, television and newspaper is gradually fading away. It is noteworthy that the Information Ministry has a department on new media or social media. The commissioner must fund this department enough so that it could engage social media practitioners especially correspondents and publishers of online media.
This is the rave of the moment. Online media reportage frowns at delay in the release of information. Don’t hoard information or fail to pick reporters calls. If you do that you run the risks of constantly issuing rejoinders. It is a thing of joy that the new commissioner is an active member of the social media especially Facebook and X accounts. He must use these platforms to constantly engage with journalists and citizens of the state.
Osuoza is stepping into the shoes of Charles Aniagwu, a consummate information manager. Agreed that Osuoza is a cerebral writer from his days as PDP publicity secretary but mass communication is beyond walking the fine lines of grammar. He must take some tutorials from Aniagwu, a trained journalist. He must be ahead of reporters by breaking the news and passing information when necessary. He should also organize the media team in line with the MORE agenda of the Government. The Chief Press Secretary, Communication Manager and the numerous media aides should be on the same page. As the captain, he should give the direction.
The governor, his principal said during the swearing in ceremony that he was more interested in feedback mechanism. The effects of government policies on the citizens and the press is suitably qualified to do just that. The various media aides should constantly engage journalists on the vibrations of the masses, the owners of electorate soverignity.
Let me share a secret with the Information Commissioner. Bad news is good news and there is no substitute for that.
Let his principal through him show the practical dividends of the MORE agenda. Deltans are too politically sophiscated to be hoodwinked. If the government is working, the people will know. Propaganda and lies cannot fill the space of real dividends of democracy. This writer shall be generous with praises when necessary and not stingy with criticism if it matters most. Let his tenure as Information Commissioner be smooth sailing for the benefits and happiness of all Deltans.
