By Favour Adinya
The Cross River State Government has restricted the ability of appointees and other officials from engaging in pressers, media parleys and issuing statements in a bid to streamline official communication.
This was contained in a circular issued by the Commissioner of Information, Dr. Erasmus Ekpang, who said the decision aims at streamlining information dissemination and avoiding the misrepresentation of government policies, programs, and projects.
“This unauthorized communication culture is intolerable, misleading and undermines the dignity and strategic coherence of Government Communications in general,” read the circular with reference number, CR/MOI/AD/305/VOL.1/76, issued on Monday.
The circular which directs all officials in the “information cluster,” to take note and act accordingly, regretted that, “some government political appointees and individuals,” have engaged in the act, “thereby arrogating to themselves the role of Official Spokesperson of the State Government and that of the Governor.”
He warned that government political appointees are instructed to adhere to the directive, reminding them that the Ministry of Information and the designated officials are the only entities authorized to issue and publicly disseminate information.
The circular noted that, “only the Commissioner for Information and the Chief Press Secretary/Special Adviser on Media and Publicity are officially mandated to issue any public statement on behalf of the Government of Cross River State in general and His Excellency, the Governor of Cross River State in particular.”
“Henceforth, all Press Releases, Press Statements, or any Government official communication must be vetted and approved by these Officers without exception,” the circular added.
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