AGENCIES UNDER MINISTRY OF INFORMATION NEED RETOOLING

AGENCIES UNDER MINISTRY OF INFORMATION NEED RETOOLING

BY PETER ATOGEWE WEDAM                                    November 14, 2012
AG.PRO-UE/RCC

The Minister of Information, Honourble Fritz Baffuor says it is his intention and elaborate plan to retool and inject change into all agencies and state establishments under the Information Ministry so as to enable them deliver effectively to the needs of both government and the public.

The Information Minister made these known in Bolgatanga in the Upper East region during separate interactions with staff of the Information Services Department [ISD], the Ghana News Agency [GNA] and the Ghanaian Times when he paid a two-day working visit to the region. This is the first official visit of the minister to the region since he assumed office on February 24, 2012.

Explaining why it took such lengthy time for him to inspect agencies under the  ministry, he said he would have embarked on the duty tour much earlier but that official duties often took him outside the country while the passing of the late president further kept him away.

According to Mr. Baffuor who is also the Member of Parliament for Ablekuma South constituency, he has already undertaken a similar inspection of agencies in the Northern Region and will leave for the Upper West region from the Upper East region stressing that, he will gather the necessary information about the needs and problems relating to each agency and at the end, compile a comprehensive report which will guide the Information Ministry’s support intervention to the agencies.

He said it is unfortunate that successive governments did not place premium on retooling the agencies especially the ISD and hinted that public-private partnerships may be sought in future to help these agencies generate income for their administration and operation. He also noted that Information and Communication Technology equipment should be made available to the staff the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, the Ghanaian Times and the ISD to fast track their work and improve performance.

Interacting with ISD staff, Mr. Fritz Baffuor noted that the government information sector needs some re-organisation and new strategies that will be based on a committed government policy. He disclosed that there are close to 557 vacancies at the ISD but that the needed finances will first be sourced before a directive can be given for new recruitments to beef up the manpower base of the ISD nationwide.

He reminded ISD staff to remain as neutral as possible in the discharge of duties and avoid towing party lines saying, this will dent their reputation and that of the government of the day. While at the GNA, the Information Minister asked for an immediate assessment of the two-storey building structure for the necessary renovation works to be done. This was after he learnt from the regional manager of the GNA that the building has not seen any major renovation works for several decades.

The Upper East Regional Information Officer, Mr. Neslson Mba earlier in a welcome address revealed that the ISD has only 47 staff in the region which is inadequate stressing that some of his district offices lack very critical staff and equipment to function effectively. He also brought up the issue of major renovation works on the regional block of the ISD which has stalled for several months now exposing official property to risk of theft and being damaged by rains.

Mr. Mba noted that some community members have questioned why the ISD has been absent on the field for some time now and pledged to the minister that, the ISD is ever prepared to go out for any public campaigns and education on government policies and programmes provided the needed funds are made available.

Honourable Fritz Baffuor as part of his working visit also paid courtesy calls on the Bolga Naba, Martin Abilba III and the Regent of the Navrongo Traditional area, Mr. Arthur Balinia Adda. He was accompanied by the Acting Director of the ISD, Mr Elvis Adenyina, a Director in charge of Finance and Administration, Mr. G.B.L Siilo and a Deputy Director in Charge of Marketing, Mr. E. Otoo Lartey.