*REPOSITIONING THE EBONYI STATE MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND STATE ORIENTATION TO MEET THE GLOBAL TREND IN INFORMATION DISSEMINATION AND VALUE REORIENTATION.*

The Ministry of Information and State Orientation is a government Information outfit, responsible for professional policy making, planning, gathering, processing, packaging and dissemination of essential and vital information which will enhance and facilitate good governance. It is the image maker and the reputation booster of the government. In Ebonyi State, the Ministry has towered in its functions and mandates. The Ministry which was pioneered by Barr. Mrs Adeline Idike, PhD, MON, as she is now called, has successive commissioners who played their parts in the propagation of the policy direction of their respective regimes.

The Divine Mandate administration of the Governor of Ebonyi State, His Excellency, Engr. Chief David Nweze Umahi provides even greater impetus for the advancement of the core mandates of the Ministry of Information and State Orientation. An administration that has broken all records within the shortest time, the Umahi Government deserves a Ministry of Information and State Orientation that provides a technologically-driven and a dynamic public information system that facilitates access by the citizens and the global access to credible and timely information about our state. The Ministry needs to do more to foster the unity and positive values of our state and thus, project the core values and exceptional socio-political and economic characteristics of Ebonyi State and its citizenry.

The coming on board of Hon. Barr. Orji Uchenna Orji as Commissioner for Information and State Orientation at this point in history appears to be a defining moment in the quest to take it to the next level. A man of proven experience, passion, and creative ingenuity, Hon. Barr. Orji did not waste time to take the bull by the horn as he resumed office within 24 hours of his redeployment to the Ministry on Thursday, 12th September 2019. Barr. Orji on resumption of office, rolled out some policy interventions that would promote information management and dissemination in the state. He identified the core mandates of the Ministry as follows:
1. Dissemination of accurate information on the activities of Government
2. Mobilization of the Citizenry to imbibe positive values and patriotism through every available channel of communication
3. Enhancement of Youth Development through Empowerment, Training, Sensitization etc.
4. Publicity of government activities and promotion of good public image for government, through proper and adequate dissemination of information.
5. Generating policy on staff welfare and discipline as well as training and building capacity for competence and skills
6. Facilitating good working relationship between the State and Federal Ministry of Information.
7. Planning and research, coupled with monitoring and updating of statistical data for information processing.
8. Popularizing government policies and programmes at the grassroots and creating behavioural and attitudinal change through communication packages to sanitize all segments of the society.

The new spirit of the Ministry under Barr. Orji Uchenna Orji has brought immediate innovative interventions and reform measures that will take the Ministry to greater height; the e-governance initiative of Governor Umahi Administration will be promoted; the staff and information officers of the Ministry shall be trained and equipped with modern information technology to enhance their capacity in order to restore their pride of place. The Ministry shall create an official WhatsApp group called “ *CITY OF DAVID* ” which shall be strictly for information about the daily projects/programme performance of each Ministry, Department and Agency of the state government, Local Government Area and Development Centre, showing job description and location. To be created also, is the State Information Central Data Base *(SICDB)* with website and portal, Facebook and Twitter handle. The ' *City of David* ' WhatsApp group to be created will admit only the Chief Executives of MDAs, Council Chairmen, Coordinators and their Information officers as group members. The Ministry shall launch Performance Evaluation System and Reward System *(PES&RS)* to encourage hardwork, passion for job and creativity in service delivery. That is why the Information officers in the state and Local Government Areas have been profiled for Capacity Re-evaluation Consortium *(CRC)* slated to hold on Wednesday 18th September 2019 at the State Cabinet office.

Apart from the monthly press briefing which the Honourable Commissioner for Information and State Orientation as state spokesman, has undertaken to carry out, he will also fortify the information officers to keep the public abreast of the programmes and projects of government.

Also, every effort shall be made to revive the state government Printing Press and the Ebonyi Patriot as well as build on the huge achievements of the Ebonyi State Broadcasting Corporation (EBBC). More efforts will be made to engage other National print and electronic media for mutual collaboration in the dissemination of information about the socio-economic potentials of the state.
While the Ministry will provide professional information service that will project the image and reputation of the state, it will also engage all practicing print and electronic media in the state to evolve developmental journalism that will be consistent with acceptable conventional norms and ethics of the profession.

The Ministry shall increase its revenue generation potentials by providing general printing and publishing services to all ministries for effective public administration, and service to educational, business and international organizations for their use, and shall effectively represent the state on International and National conferences on information. The Ministry shall formulate policies and create Laws that will promote information management and control required of a civilized society and develop guideline for the development, management and operation of print and electronic media for education, public Enlightenment and socio-economic and political development and orientation, and shall overhaul the policy objectives, core mandates and operational structures of the Ministry to meet the new trends in information technology.


Already, the Ministry has developed a slogan:
*(MOI&SO)* …. …Ministry of Information and State Orientation,.... *BUILDING A CITY OF DAVID”** This slogan is vision packed and action loaded with the aim of promoting the aspiration of the Akubaraoha Administration in making Ebonyi State, the best economy among its contemporaries. It is therefore time for all hands to be on deck to achieve these objectives.

Together, we shall make Ebonyi State truly, the Salt of the Nation.

*Written by:*

*Nduka Nnaemeka Solomon*
Special Assistant to the Honourable Commissioner for Information and State Orientation

419!