Barr. Uchenna Orji: Defining The Strategic Roles, Place Of Ebonyi State Ministry Of Information And Orientation In Building The City Of David

 From Eugene Ebenyi


Ebonyi State, The fastest growing state in Nigeria with a population of close to three million people, had in recent time remained in the local and international news for the best reasons.

A state that was before the inception of the present Administration viewed and classified as most backward, in infrastructure and human development has not only ‘at a swipe’ taken a leading position in other sectors, throughout the country, but also became a centre of attraction as well as becoming a ‘haven’ for investors, through the doggedness of a committed 21st century leader, His Excellency, Chief Engr David Nweze Umahi.
In the discharge of its scheduled mandates of proper and sustained dissemination of information on state government policies and programmes, the State ministry of Information and Orientation has been challenged to scale up its operations to meet the trending global government advertising and campaign strategies.
The ministry has been woken to the imperatives of applying the best, through proper dissemination of government information on state’s strides and new glorious status, to sustain and grow on it.
Apart from regular press briefing which are aimed at informing the public on the workings and policies of government, the state ministry of information and orientation had risen to the occasion, by claiming its expected position as the driving hub through which the government can achieve its image making objectives by using advertising campaigns to promote its programs and policies, and to motivate the people to believe in their government as well as ignite commensurate awareness and interest of those who were hitherto in the dark.

As part of its mandates, the state image making ministry has set proper agenda by invoking deliberate discourse on important topics, which are expected to invoke citizen-government cordial understanding for a people propelled governance.
The ministry is also working to fine-tune its modes of delivering on its mandate of changing attitudes and behaviours of the people through proper Campaigns and Orientation.

Being aware that government can only be seen and understood; the best, its information managers propel it, given available wherewithal, thereby reflecting by extension the strength of state’s leadership, the ministry recently carried out a total administrative overhaul and re-deployment of its pool staff.
All these, sure to say were birthed after, His Excellency, Engr David Nweze Umahi recently appointed, the most articulate Barr Orji Uchenna Orji, to oversee the state ministry of Information and State Orientation, and drive its core mandates to logical fruition.

The appointment which had been widely lauded by information experts and watchers could be said not to be only timely but surely stands to serve the purpose of the material moment as the glorious image of the State soars daily.
Since his assumption office, Orji Uchenna Orji had away from the drives listed earlier, rolled out pioneering ideas in switching the ministry to its best performance position, through proper motivation, evaluation and re-evaluation of the ministry’s Public Relation officers and the area information officers, as well as introducing a first in history reward system of the ministry staff and those of it’s parastatals.

The ministry in collaboration with its parastatal, the Ebonyi Broadcast Corporation, EBBC, initiated and kept afloat an expository LIVE television and Radio Programmes; ‘Ebonyi Today’ and ‘Local government and Development centre Half Hour’ to keep the public abreast of state government policies, programmes and achievements in the Ministries and the grassroots, respectively.

Existing Relationship between the ministry and by extension, the state government with both National and Local media organisations, have been reshaped and re-sharpened, culminating into a harmonious government-media symphony.

The ministry also on Thursday, 31st October,2019 at the EBBC premises Nkaliki by 11am unveiled a brand-new Vision Statement and Mission Statement of the Ministry. The remodelled vision and mission statement were aimed at raising the morale of the information officers and indeed all staff of the Ministry and it’s Parastatals to tackle the challenge of the new trends of information management and dissemination.

As staff of the ministry and its parastatals, especially the State Information and Area officers wear their working spices in readiness of the new and demanding trend in the discharge of their duties as the image makers of government and public information Journalists; they are assured of government usual disposition to matters of their welfare.

They are reminded to always gather news, opinion and thoughts of the people concerning government policy direction, with a view to striking the needed feedback effect.

As the image launderers of the state government who double as agents of social mobilization and change, they should also preach and canvass unwavering support for the Engr David Umahi led Administration.

The State and Area Information officers must always remember that as promoters of good governance and encyclopedia of public affairs, the information they dish out to public domain must adhere to the dictates of public interest.
They should avoid sensational report that could ignite controversial reactions, but stabilize the government, the polity and the society.

As the ministry, through the Information and Public Enlightenment Departments strategize to re-launch grassroots Enlightenment campaigns on state government policies, programmes and achievements, we will be right to say that; IT IS A NEW DAWN in the state, and that the State image making ministry, is the ‘Bright Day Light Bearer’
In the words of the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Orji Uchenna Orji; ‘ If the entire staff of the ministry could be committed to their duties with best results, as true image makers of government, then the best was close to come’
Relying on the above therefore, it is heart-warming to believe that challenges such as utility vehicles for the ministry, especially those needed for its grassroots Enlightenment campaign and mobilization, as well as working tools for the Information officers were already taken care of.

As the ministry joins well meaning members of the global Community in appreciating the number one image maker of the state, and that of Igbo land, His Excellency, Chief Engr David Nweze Umahi, for his numerous strides, and strength in redefining the ‘Image of Ebonyi State’ Ebonyians, especially the youth whose interest the present Administration had most graciously delivered and protected, should as well collaborate with the ministry, not just as the nexus and vanguards, but greatest beneficiaries of today’s good governance.
IT IS INDEED A NEW DAWN.
Ebonyi State Ministry of Information and State Orientation – Building A City of David