Kogi state commissioner for information and communication on Monday disclosed that government has prioritised the training and retraining of information officers in the state in order to enhance their capacity and efficiency toward achieving the desired result.
Hon. Fanwo also revealed that the state government has released funds for the periodic training of information officers in various ministries.
The Commissioner stated this during a two-day capacity building workshop organized by the ministry for the information officers in various ministries, departments and agencies of government in Lokoja the state capital.
According to him, the aim of the training was to equip the information officers to do their job effectively, noting that government has invested hugely in the information sector to achieve results.
Fanwo who stated that the workshop would curb the incessant of fake news, stated that the menace if not checked can damage the society, noting that government was committed to ensuring that the people are well informed about government policies and programmes.
“The core mandate of the ministry is sensitization which it is fulfilling. It is a good time to report Kogi state. We have a governor who is making us proud and happy. we want to thank his excellency, the chief servant of our dear state, Alhaji Usman Ododo for paying a lot of attention to the information sector and ensuring that those who tell the story of Kogi state are well trained to do so in the best way, professionally and with all their hearts.
“We want to thank him for making it possible for mobilizing resources to make this a reality. This is just the first of many that Mr Majid Dahiru is going to be doing. Some other ones will not even happen in Lokoja here, we will go out of Lokoja for the training” Fanwo noted.
He thanked Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo for giving adequate attention to the information sector and ensuring that those who tell the story of Kogi State are well trained to do their jobs effectively and efficiently.
The resource person, Majid Dahiru, earlier in his remarks noted that traditional media is being challenged by new media, hence the need to upscale the skills of information officers to function well at this critical moment.
He noted that the training will build the capacity of the participants and enhance their reporting skills to effectively report government’s policies and programmes.
“Our intention is to ensure that those who tell our story tell the story accurately, timely and with the best language. I want to assure you that we will continue to pay attention to your welfare” he stated.
Speaking at the occasion , the Director General, Kogi State Broadcasting Corporation, Hajiya Nana-Hauwa Yusuf , urged the participants to the advantage of the training to improve on their jobs by ensuring that government activities are not under reported.