Many people continue to laud the efforts of the outgoing Minister for Information, Mr Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, for the bold steps he has taken over the years to revamp the fortunes of the Information Service Department.
The retooling of the Department is seen as long overdue if the Department is to take its proper role in communicating government policies and programmes to the people of Ghana and receiving feedback.
Recently, the most prominent person to add his voice to the commendation of this laudable initiative is the Northern Regional Minister, Mr Shani Alhassan Shaibu. The Regional Minister made the commendation when the Acting Director of the Information Services Department, Dr Winnefred Nafisah Mahama, paid a courtesy call on him at his office last Friday.
The Acting Director was in Tamale to participate in a training for ISD District Offices drawn from eight Regions in the Northern sector of the country on a programme dubbed: “The Single Window Citizens Engagement Services (SWCES)” under the auspices of the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection.
The Northern Regional Minister said the retooling of ISD was long overdue, noting the important role the Department plays in communicating government policies and programmes to the people of Ghana to shape opinion and enable the citizenry to make informed decisions.
Mr Shaibu said the Department has always played a pivotal role in bridging the communication gap between the government and the people of Ghana and also providing feedback to the government on policies and programmes from the people.
He noted how a whole village would gather at the chief’s palace or the village square to listen to information officers delivering information on government policies and programmes in their dialects through the ISD Cinema Vans.
He emphasised that though the communication landscape has changed significantly in recent times due to technological advancement, ISD is still relevant and its importance cannot be relegated to the background, especially in rural information dissemination with audio-visual materials.
Again, he noted that for government policies, programmes and activities to be heard and seen, ISD must be at the forefront of government communication. The Regional minister acknowledged the challenges the Department might be going through in terms of inadequate resources and logistics to enhance the delivery of its mandate but was optimistic that things would turn around for the better.
He, therefore, hoped the retooling measures being put in place would bring about the desired change.
Dr. Winfred Mahama, the Acting Director of the Department, assured the Regional Minister of the preparedness of the Department to once again play a lead role in promoting government communication to enrich national discourse and bring information to the doorsteps of the people to enhance good governance.
She acknowledged that development thrives on information and people being able to make informed decisions. She asked for the support of the Regional Coordinating Council for the activities and programmes of the Information Offices in the Region to enhance their delivery.
She took the opportunity to inform the Regional Minister of an impending public education campaign in the Region soon in addition to other Regions in the Northern sector.
The Technical Advisor of the Minister of Information on the ISD Retooling, Mr David Owusu Amoah, also briefed Mr Shaibu on the ISD transformation what has been achieved so far and the way forward.
Nelson Kofi Akatey, ISD
