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Don’t hoard information, NUJ advises new Niger commissioners

Don’t hoard information, NUJ advises new Niger commissioners

By Amen Gajira
Advice
Minna, Oct. 31, 2019 (NAN) The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has advised the newly inaugurated commissioners in Niger State against hoarding vital information on government activities.
The union gave the advice in a statement signed by Malam Abdu Idris and Mr Abu Nmodu, the state Chairman and Secretary, issued on Thursday in Minna.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Gov. Abubakar Bello on Wednesday inaugurated 20 commissioners to serve in his cabinet.
The NUJ urged the new cabinet members to be open to the media in the interest of probity, accountability and transparency as expected in every democratic setting.
“As members of executive council with statutory role of heading Ministries, the Commissioners should embrace the democratic principle of informing the public adequately on challenges and progresses in government.
“The era of inhibiting access to information was no longer fashionable, even as it will be a disservice to the people and the government, if public affairs are ran below average of openness and public participation.
“Openness, even distribution of common wealth and equal opportunities as well as following due process and diligence, remain the vent of democracy and development all over the world.
“And it is our hope that the commissioners especially those in charge of releasing funds to lubricate government activities will imbibe these practices,” it advised.
The union specifically congratulated the new Commissioner for Information, Mr Mohammed Idris, and urged him to work towards ensuring better funding for state owned media organisations.
It further tasked the information commissioner to engage professionals in the state owned media to ensure better service delivery. (NAN)
AMEN/AZA/MST
Edited by Polycarp Auta/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

General news

Nasarawa Information Ministry, Assembly collaborate to address challenges

Nasarawa Information Ministry, Assembly collaborate to address challenges

By Mercy Enulue
Information
Lafia (Nasarawa State), Oct. 9, 2019 (NAN) The Nasarawa State Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism has solicited the assistance of the state House of Assembly toward resuscitating the government printing press in ensuring effective dissemination of information in the state.
Mr Allahnana Attah, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, made the appeal on Wednesday when he led management of the ministry on an advocacy visit to the House Committee on Information in Lafia.
He said that the ministry was charged with the responsibility of publicising government activities, and to promote culture and tourism in the state.
The permanent secretary appealed for the resuscitation of the government printing press in order to protect government secrecy as well as to boost the revenue base of the government.
“We have different departments in the ministry such as the Information, Culture, Tourism and the Government Printing Press in order to achieve result.
“The Culture and Tourism departments is saddled with the responsibilities of promoting the cultural values as well as the tourist attractions of the state.
“The Government Printing Press if resuscitated will not only protect the government image and information of the government from leakage but will also boost the revenue base of the government,’’ he said.
The permanent secretary assured the committee members of their readiness for being up and doing in publicising government activities for the benefit of all.
Also speaking, Mr Yusuf Musa, the General Manager, Nasarawa Broadcasting Service (NBS), said that the station has wider coverage while assuring of its determination of continuing to publicise government activities.
He also appealed to the government through the state legislature to assist the station with Outside Broadcast Van (OBV) for the benefit of all citizens of the state.
The general manager told the committee that the state government spent N2.1 billion to digitise the station.
Responding, Hon. Mohammed Omadefu (APC-Keana), the Chairman of the committee, expressed happiness with the briefing by the ministry.
“This committee is poised to give its needed support to the ministry in order to take the state to the next level of development.
“Count on our support, we will collaborate with you to make sure you succeed,’’ he said. (NAN)
MRY/COO/MST
Edited by Cecilia Odey/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

General news

Ageing Policy: Panelists identify lack of information, understanding

Ageing Policy: Panelists identify lack of information, understanding

By Chinenye Offor
Policy
Abuja, Nov. 5, 2018 (NAN) Panelists at the maiden edition of SGA African Regional Conference on Ageing on Monday in Abuja identified inadequate information, statistics and understanding of Ageing issues as some of the factors militatating against formulating welfare policies for senior citizens.

Mr Sham Ochola, HelpAge International, Head of Network Coordination and Development/African Regional Office, said that lack of adequate education was hampering against policies on ageing in Africa.

Ocholla said this while presenting a paper on the challenges and prospects of establishing legal policy and programmatic frameworks on ageing, adding that lack of political will across Africa was one of the factors that hinders implementation of ageing policies.

He noted that most of the personnel lack adequate education and understanding on ageing issues, stressing that there is need to look at it uniformly and taken seriously.

He also said that most plans on ageing had moral weight but not legally binded and also not been able to address the specific rights of older persons required.

Ochola however said that government deos not provide independent monitoring or accountability mechanisms, adding that only five countries had signed the AU Protocol on the rights of older persons agenda.

Similarly, Amal Abou Rafah, Chief, Programme on Ageing Unit, Social Inclusion and Participaton Branch, United Nations Department of Economics and Social Affairs (UNDESA), noted that MDGss lack of integration among sectors hindered ageing implementation.

Rafah also said that UN understood that age was a determinant factor of life and people’s living were set by sex and age, among others.

She also said that older persons often work in low paying jobs, lives off family support, stigmatised , descriminated from accessing health services that resulted in reduced quality of care as well as recieved limited income from pensions.

Rafah further said that negative attitudes, inadequate data abd research, disparities among older persons themslves and dependency also affects the older persons.

She however said that expected result for mainstreamimg was integration, national strategies and plans and provision of overall national framework for action.

She also said that it waa important to increase job opportunities for older persons, adding that older persons job opportunities does not decrease the johs of younger people.

She however advocated for older persons inclusion in decision making, creating spaces and mechanisms to ensure participation on other relevant stakeholders, NGOs and the private sectors.

She also urged for awareness raising, saying that campaign helps sensitize the public for the concerns and conditions of older persons to overcome negative approach and ageism.

Rafah therefore said that agenda 2030 was forcing the UN ways of working to developing guidelines on leaving no one behind and the guidelines had brought in expectations from different countries that would be a life document and all social groups were included.

Earlier, Mr Andrew Kavala, CEO, Malawi Network of Older People’s Organisation (MANEPO), Malawi/Southern Africa Regional Age Network, Southern Africa, said that social accountability required citizens recieved quality services.

He noted that the voices of older persons were not been heard and stressed the need for older persons across Africa to be trained and build their capacity to enabel them speak on what affected them.

He therefore advised senior citizens to identify the gaps that affected them. (NAN)
CSO/MST
Edited by Muhammad Tola

Health

Foundation partners public libraries to address information needs

Foundation partners public libraries to address information needs

NAN-HG-8

Information

By Talatu Maiwada

Abuja, July 7, 2017 (NAN) Youth Initiative for Sustainable Human Development in Africa (YISHDA), an NGO, in partnership with public libraries on Friday said it would launch projects aimed at addressing people’s information needs in Nigeria.

Mr Joseph Yaba, Founder of YISHDA, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Abuja.

Yaba said the project, tagged “Beyond Access Nigeria event’’, was aimed at strengthening public libraries by mainstreaming innovative activities for the benefit of national and economic development.

He said as the world moves towards Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) access to information must be a priority for all.

“In the 21st century, information is a powerful development tool that support communities in a variety of ways.

“YISHDA has built a network of 35 public libraries across the North West, North East and North Central, with a sustainable platform to help develop library staff to function effectively.

“Public libraries have a history for addressing people’s information needs  and as such will help improve the livelihood of women, youths and other marginalised groups across communities in Nigeria,’’ he said.

Yaba added that the event, which was scheduled for July 11 and 12, would celebrate the successes of the project and further chart a way forward by galvanising support for project sustainability. (NAN)

TIM/MST

Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola