Workshop For DIOs And Journalists Opened
The opening ceremony for a two-week Capacity Building Workshop in Communication Development for selected District Information Officers' (DIOs) and Journalists of the Information Services Department (ISD) and Ghana Journalists' Association (GJA) was held at the Ministry of Information yesterday.
The Minister for Information, Hon Mrs Zita Sabah Okaikoi, in her speech, stated that the workshop is designed to train DIOs and Journalists to be equipped in channeling development information to the public to inform the society on what development programmes are being undertaken by government, the private sector and Ghana's Development Partners.
It is in this direction that, government has found it necessary to create the appropriate infrastructure to ensure quick and easy access to information by its citizens both internally and externally.
The Minister impressed upon the participants to bring into focus the important role the Communities Information Centres (CICs) are playing and their impact on the communities they serve.
The Hon Minister urged all participants to be proactive and live up to expectation by making the CICs enviable centres for reliable information flow and constructive feedback to government.
They must endeavour to report on developmental issues, in addition to their normal duties of dissemination of information by explaining government polices and programmes to the public as well as bringing feedback from the people to government.
Priority she said, should be given to policies and programme like the National Health Insurance Scheme, School Feeding Programme, Capitation Grant and other projects and programmes going on in their Districts in their reportage.
The Ag Chief Director of the Ministry of Information (MoI), Mr Xorla Senayah, said the MoI 'has the mandate to inform the people on government policies, programmes and activities and the surest and fastest way of getting feedback to government is through modern communication methods, especially the internet.'
He further said, the ICT facility at the MoI is meant to promote the use of ICT in information management at different levels.
A Representative from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Mr Shigeki Komatsubara, also seized the opportunity to celebrate UNDP's valued partnership with government which is within context of its support to national efforts and capacity building for sustainable human development.
He further stated that, communication for development has become an important ingredient for achieving the many dimensions of sustainable development, especially in this era of information age workshops can be organised to enrich their knowledge in using ICT and communication tools to promote advocacy on development issues including the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
The participants were exhorted to create community and national awareness on national and global development goals to enhance collective participation of citizenry at all levels in achieving these goals.