Ikuli Faults Government Information Management, Calls for Better Engagement with Independent Publishers
By Jonah Fubara, YENAGOA –Â The Technical Adviser to the Bayelsa State Governor on Media and Public Affairs, Chief (Hon.) Wisdom Oniekpar Ikuli, JP, has criticised the poor management and dissemination of government information in the state, urging communication officials to adopt more professional and inclusive approaches to public engagement.
Ikuli expressed this concern while receiving the leadership of the Bayelsa Independent Publishers Association (BIPA), led by its newly elected President, Elder Ebi Ozegbe, during a courtesy visit to his office in Yenagoa.
He observed that despite the importance of information management in governance, some government information managers were not doing enough to ensure that accurate, timely and relevant information about government policies, programmes and activities reached the public.
The governor’s aide stressed that government communication must go beyond routine publicity to embrace strategic information management, effective media engagement and proactive public enlightenment.
He called for stronger collaboration between government and independent publishers, describing the media as an important partner in shaping public perception, promoting development and protecting the image of Bayelsa State.
Ikuli commended BIPA members for their contributions to promoting positive narratives about the state and appealed to the association to sustain its partnership with government in projecting the achievements and development prospects of Bayelsa.
He also urged government media handlers to improve their relationships with journalists and publishers, noting that professionalism, accessibility and mutual respect were essential to effective information dissemination.
Earlier, the BIPA President, Elder Ebi Ozegbe, formally informed Ikuli of the death of one of the association’s members, Elder Union Oyadongha, and his forthcoming burial ceremony.
Ozegbe, who led members of the association’s executive council and other stakeholders, solicited financial assistance towards the burial and discussed opportunities for a stronger working relationship between BIPA and the governor’s media office.
He noted that independent publishers remained important stakeholders in public enlightenment, accountability and democratic development, stressing the need for a mutually beneficial relationship with government.
Also speaking, the immediate past Chairman of BIPA, Dr. Francis Dufugha, expressed displeasure over what he described as the unfriendly attitude of some government media handlers towards independent publishers.
He maintained that the media should be recognised as an essential partner in governance rather than an outsider seeking government patronage.
Dufugha called for greater openness, accessibility and inclusion in government communication activities, arguing that independent publishers should be carried along in the dissemination of official information and public engagement.
The meeting ended with a shared call for improved communication practices, stronger government-media relations and greater recognition of independent publishers as partners in the development of Bayelsa State.
