By Giovanni Emephia/Marian Kogolo
Delta State Commissioner for Works (Rural Roads) and Public Information, Mr. Charles Aniagwu, right, with Mr. Kenneth Obieh, Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists, State Information Chapel on Monday.
Delta State Commissioner for Works (Rural Roads) and Public Information, Mr. Charles Aniagwu has assured members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, State Information Chapel, that the ministry, under his watch, would lay emphasis on training of officers who are putting in their best as a way of encouraging them, noting that the only criterium required to be selected is a track record of performance on the job.
Aniagwu made the remarks on Monday when he received on courtesy visit, the executive committee of the NUJ Information chapel, led by its chairman, Mr. Kenneth Obieh.
While appreciating the Union and its leadership for the industrial harmony that exists in the ministry, Mr. Aniagwu also commended the exco for having the interest of members at heart, noting that members’ welfare should be the true focus of any union.
Responding to requests made by the union, Mr. Aniagwu promised to look into the requests with a view to providing required solutions.
On the issue of gazeting of the Orientation Bureau, which was originally created as a department in the ministry of information, the commissioner explained that the creation of the Orientation Bureau was a policy of the state government, but that discussions would be held at the appropriate quarters to know how to make progress on that matter.
Commissioner Aniagwu emphasized the need to redeploy officers on Grade Level 16 back to the ministry to enable them take their proper place in the administration of the ministry.
While lamenting that a lot of officers could not write a proper memo, he pointed out that it would be a disaster for the ministry if they were not brought back to start the learning process.
Speaking earlier, Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, State Information Chapel, Mr. Kenneth Obieh, while congratulating the commissioner on his deployment to oversee the ministry of information, having been the substantive commissioner for information in the immediate past administration in the state, appealed for the ministry’s assistance in establishing a welfare trust fund to assist members of the union in accessing soft loans at minimal interest rates.
Mr. Obieh also appealed for the domiciliation of the state government website in the ministry of information, considering its role as the custodian of government information. He lamented that having political appointees handling these sensitive assignments would not augur well as, according to him, each time an administration changes in the state, there is usually no record of all that had been done in the previous administration.
The Chapel chairman appealed for the strengthening of the New Media and other Departments in the ministry to enable a strong system that would breed continuity.