Lagos denies gagging Fashola’s aides

Nigeria’s Lagos State Government on Wednesday insisted it has not gagged public officials from speaking to the press but has only put in place a structured channel of information flow that will ensure that only adequate and credible information is disseminated.

The State Government’s position was amplified by the State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Lateef Ibirogba during a Press Conference he addressed at the Conference Room of the Ministry at the Alausa Secretariat alongside the Special Advisers on Information and Strategy, Mr. Lateef Raji and Special Adviser on Media, Mr. Hakeem Bello.

Speaking against the background of a circular issued to the effect that all public officials must obtain the concurrence of the Ministry of Information and Strategy before issuing press releases or granting interviews, Mr. Ibirogba clarified that the state government has not stopped the members of the State Executive Council or senior government functionaries from speaking to the press.

He cited the example of the media briefing on the breakdown of the year 2013 budget on Tuesday by the Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Mr. Ben Akabueze, saying if the intention was to gag public officials from speaking with the press, Mr. Akabueze would not have been able to address the press.

He explained that those making issues out of the move are only twisting the facts, stressing that in terms of schedule of responsibilities, the Ministry of Information and Strategy is the Ministry specifically saddled with the task of disseminating information on behalf of the government.

He added that in line with the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act (FOI) the arrangement put in place will ensure that the people have access to only factual and credible information.

Mr. Ibirogba added that for whatever information anyone sought about the activities of the State Government, such a person could contact the Ministry of Information and Strategy, which can then direct him or her on the right sources of such information if it could not be provided directly.

The Commissioner said Lagos has always been at the forefront of open and transparent governance aided by regular dissemination of information to the public adding that it never believed in hoarding information.

He contended that the present administration in Lagos has nothing to hide, and this explains why it is the only government within the federation that comes before its people every 100 days to render an account of stewardship.

He added that the Fashola administration is also the only administration that publishes contact details of all government officials both political and public servants as well as security and emergency agencies whilst it also gives regular updates about performances of the various Ministries, Departments and Agencies on publicized websites.

He informed that the state also holds regular stakeholders Town Hall Meetings on security, transportation, taxation and health among other things with a view to making the government more interactive with the people.

The Information Commissioner also stated that the State Governor regularly established direct contact with the populace by leading members of his Cabinet round project sites and to meet with the host Communities of such projects with a view to obtaining from the people a first-hand assessment of how funds appropriated is being spent and its impact on the citizenry.

He commended members of the media for their cooperation with the State Government in terms of giving positive projections to the activities of the State, saying members of the Information management team cannot claim to have solely accounted for the success of the administration in terms of information dissemination.