Delta State Government has called for more collaboration between it and the media in area of information dissemination on its polices and programmes.
The State Commissioner for Finance, Olorogun David Edevbie stated this in Asaba while playing host to the Executive members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Delta State Council.
Edevbie who expressed concern over what he described as reportage of unconfirmed and biased stories by some journalists, said the state government had set up a committee to ensure greater flow of information to the media.
”There is a lot of half truth out there, I have to say that we in government are partially to blame because if there was more disclosure publicly, I think a lot of these rumours will not even start in the first place or where they start, you yourself can easily debunk the rumours.
“We can learn from each other. I want to apologize on behalf of the ministry and maybe government in general if considered necessary, if there hasn’t been a free flow of information as it should be. We have since formed a committee to ensure a greater flow of information .
”There is the need for far more cooperation, far more interactions between ourselves. We are all representing the five million people in Delta State, and we have a duty to convey the truth to them at all times.
”I have an open door policy.There is nothing secret here when it comes to money. In fact, when everything is transparent and if there is a problem, nobody can hold you personally responsible. It is when you are hiding information, hiding things that if there is a problem, you will definitely take personal responsibility for it,” he stated.
Edevbie added, ”I urge you to continue doing what you are doing, which is not an easy job. Don’t be discouraged. What you are doing is very important for the society. You will always have the support of me and people like me in government.”
On pace of development in the state, Edevbie said, ”with the resources that we have and what we had over the last seventeen years, we should have developed as Lagos, Abuja or any other developed city in the country both in terms of infrastructure and mentally. And we have highly educated people from Delta operating elsewhere in the country, and when we come home, I don’t know what happen to us”.
The Chairman of the Delta State Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists, Comrade Michael Ikeogwu who was represented by the Vice Chairman of the Council, Comrade Patrick Ochei urged the commissioner to endeavour to respond regularly to journalists inquiries on government finances.
He said the media as the fourth estate of the realm had a duty to make government accountable to the people and as such needed to be briefed at regular intervals.
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