The Ministry of Information and National Orientation has been commended by the Civil Society Groups on Transparency and Accountability coalition for initiating the ministerial press briefing to inform Nigerians about the practical measures taken by President Bola Tinubu’s government.
He said that the project will increase governmental accountability.
The director of the coalition program, Comrade Igwe Ude-Umanta; national coordinator of the Empowerment for Unemployed You Initiative, Comrade Danesi Momoh; and convener of Rising-Up for a United Nigeria, Ambassador Solomon Adodo, spoke at a press conference in Abuja yesterday. The CSOs praised the initiative as “laudable, timely, and a strategic national engagement program.”
The groups declared their agreement with the common goals of encouraging accountability, openness, civility, and cleanliness in public areas. “We have been concerned about the growing strain on the country due to high inflation, soaring food prices as a result, and an overall high cost of living,” he said.
Momoh claimed that they had conducted an independent investigation, assessed the circumstances, and called a National Civil Society Roundtable to talk about the country’s economy in general and the Tinubu administration’s economic reforms in particular.
According to him, at the program, which took place in Abuja on January 31 and February 1, 2024, “we released a communique noting the pervasive poverty in the country, but hailed the reforms which, if managed with honesty and dexterity will transform the economy.
Although we have taken note of the various initiatives taken by the Honorable Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris Malagi, to inform Nigerians in the most sincere and polite manner, we think that his decision to establish a Ministerial Press Briefing is the most noteworthy. Even if the only knowledge needed is to maintain optimism, Nigerians require it to get through this trying time.
The coalition noted that the first Ministerial Press Briefing, which featured Senator Abubakar Kyari, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, signaled a significant turning point in the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Administration’s critical engagement and information dissemination. It also added that the large number of dignitaries and media in attendance demonstrated the program’s strategic importance for the government and Nigerians as a whole.
“The first briefing, which included Senator Abubakar Kyari, CON, the Honorable Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, was exciting and very engaging as concepts, plans, and programs were questioned by the media. In addition to providing the minister with crucial facts that could be questioned, the minister also got critical input that will not alter the ministry’s approach to ensuring the nation’s food security in the long run.
We have also been notified that Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite, the Honorable Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment, will be speaking at the Ministerial Press Briefing tomorrow, Friday, February 16, 2024. To be sure, having two Ministers in the first week of the program and in two days highlights the importance of the ministerial press briefing at a time that, let’s face it, is unique in our nation’s history.
Each ministry will report on its policies, programs, and operations under this framework. Therefore, lying will not be tolerated as we will monitor every information shared with Nigerians and expose any instances of lying or telling partial facts. The committee continued, “We have a responsibility to identify and address underperforming ministries promptly because we cannot afford incompetence or inefficiency at this pivotal juncture in the history of our country.