The Zamfara State government has placed a ban on officials from the state Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), from speaking to the media or disseminating information regarding policies and programs of the government.
The order was made known on Thursday by the Commissioner for Information, Alhaji Ibrahim Dosara, while addressing members of the Correspondents Chapel in Gusau, the state capital.
Dosara said the state government has decided to settle for a centralized information management to curtail the spread of fake news and misinformation to the people
“This is in view of the security situation in the state and the mismanagement of information where everybody takes his own opinion and chips in on behalf of government,” the Commissioner said.
He added that ”this further aggravates the issues of security challenges in the state, and the executive council, in one of its resolutions during its last meeting decided to centralise information.
“Council took the decision so as to have control and to avert the series of misinformation which is leading to further aggravate the insecurity in the state.
“Henceforth, it’s only the Ministry of Information or the Commissioner for Information that is allowed to speak on behalf of the government, while the Special Adviser on Media to the governor, is the only person allowed to speak on behalf of the governor.
“This two people are the custodians of information of the government of Zamfara state as far as the present predicament is concern.
“We also appeal to journalists to take it as a working tool that is making it easier for you to have access to information you are looking for to write your reports.
“Any body that speaks to you on behalf of government, if it is not the Commissioner for Information or the SA to the Governor on Media, that information is invalid as far as Zamfara state government is concerned,” Dosara emphasized.
