By Benedict Okache
CALABAR – Cross River State Ministry of Information has put in place a high-powered Committee to work out modalities for the production of a modern State Policy on Information.
Giving the policy directives during the 1st meeting of the Enlarged Management of the Ministry in his Office in Calabar, the State Commissioner for Information, Dr Erasmus Ekpang, said the setting up of the Committee has become very imperative in order to bring up information and communication trends in line with current realities as well as to domesticate the National Policy on Information recently approved by the 48th Meeting of the National Council on Information held in Kaduna State in December 2024.
The Commissioner named the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information, Ntunkae Mrs Offiong Ani Offiong as Chairman while the Director of Planning, Research and Statistics in the Ministry of Information, Mr Simon Enama is the Secretary of the Committee, which has till 31st March, 2025 to complete the assignment
Dr Ekpang also used the platform to direct all Heads of Departments and Parastatals to submit to his office their detailed action plan for 2025, adding that all hands must be on deck to raise the tempo of publicity regarding the achievements of the People First Administration of Governor Bassey Edet Otu.
He lauded Governor Otu for his huge interest in the information Sector, emphasizing that the Government Printing Press New digital Printing Machines are already on the ground awaiting installation while contracts for the comprehensive renovation of buildings of the Cross River State Newspaper Corporation have just been awarded to three separate companies to facilitate early completion.
The meeting reviewed the performances of the Ministry and its Parastatals in 2024, which was put at above average, and resolved to strive to do better in 2025 to justify the State Government’s huge interest in the Sector.
In her remarks, the Chairman of the State Policy on Information Committee and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Ntunkae Offiong Ani Offiong commended the Commissioner for the bold step taken to rigid the State Policy on Information, assuring that she would bring her wealth of experiences to bear on the new assignment.
Ntunkae Offiong Charged the Heads of Parastatals and Departments of the Ministry to brace up to the new Information Order, saying that there shall be no room for complacency and truancy in the system.
The Committee Chairman assured that they will work round the clock to deliver on their terms of reference to realise the State Policy on Information
The Enlarged Management Meeting of the Ministry was well attended by the Director General of Cross River State Signage and Advertising Agency, Mr Ubong Sam; General Manager of Cross River State Newspaper Corporation, Mrs Keyu Edet; General Manager of Cross River Broadcasting Corporation, Calabar, Mr Sam Nsor Bassey; Head of CRBC Ikom, Mrs Comfort Manyo; Directors and Heads of Departments in the Ministry.
