The Kogi State Government on Saturday directed its own media organisations to cover the activities of the state’s Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, MDAs, at reduced costs.
The State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mr. Kingsley Fanwo, who gave the directives during a meeting with the management of state media organisations in Lokoja, said the directives were to enable the MDAs to project more of government programmes and activities to the people.
Fanwo stressed that the management of the state owned media; Radio Kogi and The Graphic Newspaper, should run programmes of MDAs in the state, especially those that generates revenue, at minimal costs.
The Commissioner had earlier visited the State Bureau of Lands and Urban Development where he assured its Director-General, Mr. Nazir Ochi, of the free interactive forum on Radio Kogi as well as coverage in The Graphic newspaper at no costs, to create awareness of programmes in the bureau for the benefit of the people.
He assured the bureau of the State Government’s full support toward a successful land administration; describing land as a “low hanging fruit that the state can pluck from during an economic stress such as the present one”.
Fanwo reemphasized the commitment of Governor Yahaya Bello to efficient land administration which had made him give a marching order to the Ministry of Information to ensure that issues bordering on land and the bureau were given a lot of publicity for the benefit of the citizens.
“This is one of the avenues of ensuring quick wins; the land is one of the low-hanging fruits that we can pluck from to rescue our state from the economic situation we have found ourselves,” he said.
He promised to yield the state information platforms to the gainful use of the bureau and urged the director-general to take advantage of the media coverage offer and reach out to the people to maximize the potentials of the agency.
The Commissioner stressed that Radio Kogi and The Graphic newspaper had wide coverages, with the added advantage of e-graphic, stressing that partnership with the two organisations and the state printing press would surely bring economic prosperity to the state.
He commended the Director-General for his initiatives and reforms at the bureau; while also lauding the management for their support toward the success of the agency.
Responding, Ochi expressed joy that the visit had laid to rest the lack of publicity which had been a challenge to the bureau.
He said his office had put in place a lot of programmes that needed sensitisation and promised to utilise the opportunity to greater profitability of the agency.
On the Commissioner’s entourage were the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mr Peter Stephen, the DG Radio, Alhaji Ojo Oyila, the MD Graphic, Pst Dayo Thomas, and other management and staff at the state Information sector.
Fanwo also inspected the facilities at the Radio Kogi, the State Publishing Corporation and the State Printing Press.
