Niger Govt Adopts ‘People’s Forum’ For Citizens’ Engagement

The secretary to the Niger State government (SSG) Alhaji Abubakar Usman has stated that information dissemination would be given priority attention by the present administration and will introduce  “Jama’a (People’s) Forum “ for robust engagements.

He stated this when he received the permanent secretary, Ministry of Information and Strategy, Mrs Hadiza Mohammed Shiru and heads of departments and agencies of the ministry in his office.

Usman disclosed that considering the critical role of information, mobilization and enlightenment in the success of the government’s programmes and policies the government places emphasis on the sector.

The SSG said the present administration led by Governor Mohammed Umar Bago is publicity conscious; hence the need for the government to equip and rejuvenate all the state-owned media outfits for optimum productivity in information dissemination.

He charged the ministry and its agencies to redouble their efforts toward the promotion of policies, programmes and achievements of the government to the citizenry, adding that the government would continue to motivate and improve working conditions of workers for greater productivity and result-oriented service.

The SSG said, “Executive order by the state government will be considered so that state-owned media outfits will gain patronage from government agencies and parastatals for revenue generation.”

In this direction, the SSG revealed that the administration would reintroduce Jama’a Forum, an important platform for citizens’ participation and engagement in the development of the state.

Earlier, the permanent secretary, Ministry of Information and Strategy, Mrs Hadiza Mohammed Shiru told the SSG that the ministry and its agencies are responsible for tracking activities of the government and disseminating such timely information to the public.

Shiru decried the obsolete equipment and dilapidated structures of all the state-owned media outfits and called for government’s urgent attention to salvage the outfits from imminent collapse.