By Kingsley Agim
The Ministry of Information and Orientation has received commendation from the Cross River State House of Assembly over the Ministry’s 2017 budget performance in spite of getting only 5% of the total budgetary provision.
The commendation came from the Chairman, House Committee on Finance and Appropriation, Rt. Hon. Eteng Jones Williams during the Ministry’s budget presentation held recently at the Hallowed Chambers of the State House of Assembly in Calabar.
Hon. Eteng commended the Ministry’s achievements in spite of inadequate budgetary releases, adding that his committee will make strong recommendations to the Governor to properly fund the Ministry which serves as the mouthpiece of the government.
House Committee on Finance and Appropriation Chairman identified the critical role played by the Ministry in ensuring proper understanding of government policies and programmes by the general public.
The Lawmaker who decried the State’s inability to publish Gazettes of the Laws of the State, promised to do everything within his powers to reverse the anomaly.
The Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mrs. RoseMary Archibong expressed joy at the encomium showered on her Ministry by the legislative arm of government and restated her Ministry’s resolve to better its performance in 2018.
She presented the Ministry’s Budget of N966, 993, 741.18 (Nine Hundred & Sixty-Six Million, Nine Hundred & Ninety-Three Thousand, Seven Hundred & Forty-One Naira, Eighteen Kobo) to the Cross River State House of Assembly.
Presenting the Budget at the hallowed Chambers of the State House of Assembly, Mrs. Archibong said the budget will aid the Ministry of Information and Orientation and its parastatals to achieve the mandate of enhancing public perception of the Governor Ben Ayade’s government, his developmental projects and vision are well received by the public.
The Information Commissioner and Orientation boss maintained that it is imperative for the Ministry to be fully prepared to accomplish its mandate of informing, educating and facilitating a buy-in by the public into the programmes and policies of the government.
She also spoke on the need for proper planning; suitable media strategies as well as continuous monitoring and evaluation of the citizenry through the Ministry’s orientation an interactive programmes.
She emphasized that this will in no small measure engender the level of public understanding of government intentions; thereby fostering participatory governance.
Mrs. Archibong highlighted some of the achievements of the Ministry in 2017 to include: production of the Giant Strides Magazine; table calendars, which reflected the achievements of the present administration; production of documentaries; midwifed the establishment of the Archives and Records Bureau; completed the procurement process for the supply and installation of a 20KVA TV Transmitter for CRBC Odukpani Station.
Others she mentioned include: sustained weekly publication of Nigeria Chronicle; successfully coordinated the celebration of Independence Day in the State; published 12 editions of the Cross River State Tenders Journal; ensured regular and timely information to the public about activities and programmes of government on TV, radio, print and other media; renovated the government Printing Press Building at Cross River State Newspaper Corporation premises; and also installed/test-run the Digital Printing Machine; and also sustained the publication of Daily News Bulletin.
The Commissioner led the Information Sub-sector to the presentation comprising the Permanent Secretary, Mr. Aye Henshaw II, General-Manager of Cross River Broadcasting Corporation, Calabar Dr. (Mrs.) Theresa Essien, the General-Manager of Cross River Broadcasting Corporation, Ikom, Engr. Nicolas Ntun, the General-Manager, Cross River Newspaper Corporation, Mr. Emma Akpong, the Director-General, Cross River State Signage and Advertising Agency, Stanley Nsemo, and Directors in the Ministry of Information and Orientation.
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