LAGOS @ 50: PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICERS CHARGED TO REPORT REFLECTIVE MOMENTS
The Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Ministry of Information and Strategy, Mr. Fola Adeyemi, has called on all Public Affairs Officers (PAOs) in the State Government employ to explore the cultural dexterity, economic viability and past interesting moments of Lagos during the forthcoming golden jubilee celebration.
Making the call on Friday at an interactive session with PAOs at the Alausa, Secretariat, Ikeja, Adeyemi reminded them to use available media tools to project and promote the image of the State, especially at the upcoming annual Ministerial Press briefing.
He stressed the need for the officers to strategize for the celebration in such a way that the aftermath of the celebration would positively impact on Lagos investments and prosperity.
In his words, “I urge you to make meaningful impact in the discharge of your duties and use this celebration to place this administration on a highly revered pedestal as well as boost its image beyond a common standard. We must endeavour to make use of both conventional and contemporary media. Stories are waiting to be told as no one can tell the Lagos story as we can.”
He noted that the 2017 edition of the yearly Ministerial Press Briefing where all the Ministries, Agencies and Departments will address Lagosians on the activities of the state government should also incorporate a reflection of the old and new Lagos with specific achievements of Governor Ambode’s administration in the last two years.
“This year’s Ministerial press briefing is a special one that is expected to add colour to the golden jubilee celebration. The story of Lagos should be told in a narrative manner to the admiration of everyone both young and old. As you will agree with me that no one can tell the story of Lagos better than you, ‘the official storytellers’ for the state Government.” Adeyemi added.
He announced that several projects would be commissioned by different MDAs from now till the end of the year as part of Lagos@50 celebration, hence the need for PAOs to be prepared to capture the various events and report them effectively.
Welcoming participants, the Director of Public Affairs in the Ministry, Mrs. Toro Oladapo spoke on the professional advancement for the officers and promised that the Ministry will rekindle the already existing relationship with various associations such as Nigeria Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) and the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) for more deliverables.
Oladapo promised that from now on, the meeting will be more regular and that the platform would be used to build the capacity of Officers for improved service delivery.
Also speaking, the National President of the Nigeria Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) Dr. Rotimi Oladele, who was also present, stated that there is need for government officials to complement the developmental strides of the present administration with worthwhile publicity and also keep a diary of state events for posterity in form of a journal.
He promised that the Institute would work with the State Government to further enhance professionalism of the officers in such a way that there would be massive awareness of the State Government’s activities.