Take Advantage Of ICT – Oboshie

The Minister for Information and National Orientation (MINO), Mrs Oboshie Sai Cofie, has charged personnel of the Information Services Department, especially the District Information officers to take advantage of opportunities offered by Information Communication Technology (ICT) and disseminate government policies and programmes to the people in their communities, saying

“Modern Information officers cannot stand to stare as the tools for their profession undergo rapid changes at a speed we cannot determine now.”

She noted that dissemination of government's policies, programmes and projects to the citizenry was very crucial in that trust and confidence are reposed in the government and in the process their patriotic tendencies are strengthened.

This was in a speech read on her behalf by Mr Dominic A.Y. Sampong, Director of Research, MINO at the opening ceremony of a two-week Capacity Building Workshop in Computer Literacy in Accra for 20 District Information Officers selected from all the ten regions of the country.

Mrs Oboshie Sai Cofie said the Community Information Centres (CICs) which were being established by the Ministry of Communications in the 230 electoral constituencies in the country, were on course.

She said since the MINO was responsible for the content development and information management, “The only way our Ministry can effectively and efficiently develop and mange the content for these centres for the benefit of District Assemblies and our brothers and sisters in the rural areas, is to equip information officers with adequate knowledge and skills in ICT.

She, therefore, urged the officers to endeavour to send feedback to government for policy modification for the advancement of the country.

The Chief Director at the Ministry of Communications, Mr Ofosu Adarkwah, challenged the district information officers to be multi- skilled officers and go extra mile in performing their duties to ensure that the government's policies and programmes are well articulated.

He said the public demands accountability from them as communication officers saying the public wants to know what is happening in the country and it is the duty of the information officers to feed the public with government's policies and programmes.

Mr Adarkwah appealed to the MINO, to come out with more innovative programmes to enhance the officers' capacity.

In his welcome address, Mr Albert Ampong, the Chief Director, MINO in a speech read on his behalf by Mrs Patricia Dovi Samson, Assistant Director, MINO, described the workshop as “Very important event.”? He said ICT is the driving force behind the entire world today economically, socially and culturally, he stressed.

The workshop is being organized by Ministry of Information and National Orientation and supported by United Nations for Development Project (UNDP).