Response to emergencies, proper information dissemination top agenda as journalists appraises Anambra State Govt

The media has called on the government of Anambra State to prepare the state-its agencies and citizenry-in the area of handling emergencies from natural and man-made disasters while ensuring that the information dissemination mechanism in the state is seamless and more efficient.

This came to the fore, following a communiqué issued at the end of a one day media summit hosted by the Association of Digital Media Core Advocates,  led by Comr. Harris Chuma,  tagged: Good Governance and Role of the Media, which held at Marble Arc Hotel on February 26, 2020. Part of the 20-point communiqué read: After questions and answers from all sectors which include: Education, Agriculture, Security, Healthcare, Infrastructure, Employment, Tourism, Civil Servants Finance /IGR and

Transparency in Governance, the participants resolved as follows:

1. The Government should train and retrain fire fighters to be abreast of modern day fire fighting techniques.2. Government should make it compulsory for each trader or shop owner in major markets in the state to own a serviceable fire extinguisher. This should be narrowed down to local communities and schools through proper sensitisation. 
3. Community policing members (Vigilante groups) should be trained as fire fighters too, to complement the efforts of the state fire service in our various communities.
4. Government should make available special numbers that can be quickly accessed by the public in case of any emergency. 
5. Government should provide students suggestion boxes in all the state-owned and private schools in the state through which students can report most illegalities going on in their various schools. 
6. Government through the media should educate the people on how to insure their businesses or any establishments. 
7. Government should establish mini fire station in schools, markets, churches etc. 
8. Government should do everything within its powers to get the Federal Governments approval for the reconstruction of most failing federal roads in the state. 
9. Anambra State Government should relocate buildings around the Ekwulobia/Oko round about and expand the roundabout for comfortable transit of heavy duty vehicles.
10. People charged with the responsibility of disseminating information on the developments of the state should raise their games. 
11. Government should adopt a system of effective information management.
12. Information managers of the government should avoid going as low as becoming attack dogs. 
13. The Government should appropriately educate the people on the policies of the Government. 
14. The Stakeholders in the media industry should always be carried along from the inception of every projects of the Government by her Information managers. 
15. Anambra online media Influencers should be mindful of what they write irrespective of whom they write for.
16. Government should revamp and re-jig the state’s orientation agency to live up to its billings.
17. Government should speed up the numerous ongoing road projects in the state before the return of rains 
18.  Government should make concerted efforts towards harnessing satisfactorily the tourism potentials of the state. 
19. Access to information on government policies, and activities should be unhindered; all recognised media organisations should be given equal opportunities. 

20. The fight against fake news and false information should be intensified. Online media practitioners in the state are enjoined to be constructive and objective in their reportage.”

The summit attracted journalists, bloggers, social media influencers and representatives of the state government, who during the parley, unanimously extolled the Governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano on his performance so far. 

ADMCA has been at the vanguard of championing integrity and professional ethics in the media through summits,  sensitization, workshops and awards.