The Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Hon. Kehinde Bamigbetan has challenged Public Affairs Officers (PAOs) in Local Governments and Local Council Development Areas to adopt creative technology-based techniques in disseminating information to residents at the grassroots level.
Bamigbetan, who spoke at an interactive session with the officers today, emphasized the importance of social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram among others, in prompt dissemination of information, saying the rationale for government actions must always be broken down by public affairs personnel to engender community support for policies and programmes of the administration.
According to him, a proper understanding of the policies of government is a pre-requisite for information officers to carry out their duties effectively while garnering public acceptance for activities of government.
He encouraged the officers to maintain a cordial relationship with the Community Media within their environment and ensure that communication with residents is disseminated in the most prominent language in their domain.
“If the most prominent language in your domain is Yoruba, the onus is on you to create a page in your publications to communicate in the dialect and attract such audience to activities within the local government” he stated.
The Commissioner revealed that Governor Akinwunmi Ambode will soon commence visits to local governments, urging the public affairs officers to ensure wide publicity and coverage of the event to showcase the lofty projects that have been accomplished by the current administration across Lagos State.
“Celebrate what is being done in your neighbourhood at every opportunity” he counselled
He advised the officers to exploit the use of advertising media such as street lamp poles, handbills and small format boards in deploying information on government programmes and achievements to the public.
Bamigbetan, therefore, urged the PAOs to work in conjunction with Community Development Associations to ensure the visits of Governor Ambode to local governments and local council development areas are grand and historic.
