By Victor E. Effiom
Introduction
First let me welcome you to this session of the workshop and I am sure that these past two days, you have already been fed with tremendous presentations on the theme of this workshop. I have no doubt therefore that you have derived a lot of benefit from what you have heard so far. I therefore wish to express appreciation to the Information Ministry for inviting me to share with you in this workshop and I hope that at the end of my presentation I would have contributed in some small measure to enrich your knowledge regarding the theme of this workshop.
The topic of my paper is “Improving. the Relationship between the Chief Executive and the Information Officer for the Effective Coverage of Government Business”.
This topic it appears presupposes that the relationship between the Information Officer and his Chief Executive as exists at present is not so smooth and therefore requires some improvement.
Secondly it recognizes that this improved relationship is necessary for the effective discharge of the functions of the Information Officer. It is from this perspective that we would approach the topic and attempt to identify the areas of possible conflict and try to proffer solutions for the smooth functioning of the Information Officer.
In the day-to-day functioning of any government business, it is the human being, the officers, who are saddled with the responsibility of formulation and implementation of policies and programmes. These officers are assigned different functions which when executed in cooperation with other relevant agencies ultimately results in the attainment of set goals and objectives. But over the years in this country, we have witnessed otherwise lofty government policies and programmes collapse due to poor implementation processes. Oftentimes, strategies are well articulated but in the process of execution, these programmes collapse and fail to secure the necessary impact expected by government. We recall programmes such as Operation Feed the Nation, DIFRI, Poverty Alleviation Programme etc., most of which had largely failed to impact positively on the people.
This therefore means that the human being, the officers in government have vital roles to play in implementing government policies and programmes after the promulgation of such polices, assuming however that government also provides the wherewithal necessary for the execution of such programmes.
For this principle to function smoothly therefore, one of the requirements is the need for a well-defined structure spelling out operational guidelines and departmental inter and intra relationships to facilitate operations devoid of departmental clashes. Such a structure should originate from the Chief Executives of the various departments according to their functions, terminating at the lowest level of staff. This way, discipline would be assured at least in inter and intra departmental relationships and in the execution of responsibilities.
In the Information Ministry, this structure is no less important having regard to the importance of information in the running of government business. This information flow should exist in all departments of government business, but in this paper, we are talking about the role of Information Officers in the dissemination of information and their relationship with the Chief Executives in the effective performance of their responsibilities.
The other aspect is the full understanding of such policies and programmes, their objectives as well as mode of execution to enable it to achieve the desired results.
This applies to the executives presiding over the various Departments directly involved in the execution of such polices as well as the information field officers handling the implementation processes.
Hierarchy
It is to ensure orderliness, smooth operations and implementation of such programmes that operational hierarchy is established and duly recognized in the day-to-day functioning of government, from the Chief Executive down to the lowest rung of the ladder. The ultimate objective is to establish a well-defined vertical and lateral flow of communication and responsibilities for smooth operations.
This principle applies in all properly organized departments including the Information Ministry. Without such an orderly prescription, order would be absent and smooth operations would be hampered. In fact, the operations could be chaotic and could breed disharmony even in interpersonal relationships.
This hierarchy must be firmly established for appropriate communication and information to flow. Now let’s talk about information as a veritable agent for government administration.
I am sure that in most of the previous papers, you have been barraged with definitions, concepts and other academic depositions on information, its meaning, application etc. Consequently, I will not therefore bother you with these, in order not to fag you with academic theories but will endeavour to be more practical than theoretical as indeed the subject of this paper dictates such an approach.
So, for the purpose of this paper, let us visualize the Information officer at his duty post, say in Ogoja and his relationship and line of communication with the Chief Executive who in this case is the Hon. Commissioner for Information. First, how does he communicate with his superiors at Headquarters? What is the state of facilities available to him to function effectively? What is the condition of his working environment? What is his relationship with the community in which he operates? Do his superiors fully understand his functions apart from that buying yams and plantains for them.
Role
How does the Information Officer communicate with his superiors?
For the Information Officer, constant communication with his bosses is very important to his smooth operations He should be able to develop that relationship. Information sometimes could be time bound, or could perish if not utilized during its currency. Therefore, the constant flow of information or contact with his principals would help to enhance his effective operations.
There have been instances where Information Officers posted to duty posts assume some air of independence, carve out a territory for themselves, or even switch loyalty to the beneficiary establishment. This should not be encouraged as the ultimate result could be counter-productive.
On facilities, it is common knowledge that lack of operational facilities is one of the major constraints in the implementation of government progammes. More often than not officers are assigned responsibilities without being armed with facilities for the satisfactory execution of such responsibilities. The result is obvious and sometimes the said officer is made a scape-goat. The provision of minimum facilities for the execution of government programmes at all levels is therefore cardinal to-the success of that programme, the Information Ministry inclusive.
Now on to working environment. It is not unusual in this country to see government officials operating in a most retarded environment-rickety chairs and tables, inadequate office space, unhealthy surroundings etc. Psychologists would affirm that such work environment could have an adverse effect on the performance of an officer. I once saw an environmental court operating in a very filthy environment. How does one explain that? The mental alertness of such an officer could be impaired and his concentration could be hampered. A conducive work environment is therefore essential for optimal productivity and consequent attainment of set goals.
For Information Officers posted to communities or other government departments, his interpersonal relationship with his host community is an important contributing factor to his successful operations. Isolationist behaviour, aggressive disposition, an air of importance, egoistic tendencies or such other negative traits would hinder instead of facilitating his effectiveness. Therefore, Information Officers apart from their professional duties should be great public relations men, exhibiting good human relations while acting as public relations men for government. This would make their job easy to accomplish and their relationship with their hosts harmonious.
On the issue of the proper understanding of the functions of the Information Officer by his superiors and Chief Executives, I venture to assert that for any information officer to function effectively, his Chief Executive must understand the professional role of an Information Officer in government administration. As I stated earlier, I would want to assume that in the course of this workshop, you have already been inundated with definitions and dissertations on the role of information officers in government administration. But for the purpose of this presentation, let us take a simplistic look at the role of an Information Officer as that of assisting in the dissemination of government information on the policies and programmes of government as well as the activities of the various communities and channeling feed backs to government on the reactions of the communities to government programmes. And this includes the reactions of the various publics who happen to be affected in one way or another by these policies and programmes.
But let us take a quick look at Information Science as it applies. Making reference to a paper delivered in 1995 on Information Management, Information science could be described as the collection, storage, processing and dissemination of information which in itself assumes different forms including data, pictures, facts and messages opinions and comments and so on. Information science, therefore, ensures understanding of the socio, economic and political environment in which we live and enables us to react appropriately to situations.
From the foregoing, one may say that information dissemination or information sharing is a contributing factor to harmonious living, harmony through understanding of contending issues which could advance knowledge and progress in a particular perspective thus contributing to societal progress.
Stretching these further, information could be understood in the context of its function as a socialization and motivational agent which provides a pool of knowledge for societal engineering cutting across all segments of endeavour, through the creation of awareness and motivation.
In motivating people, positive information seeks the immediate and ultimate advancement of each society and the stimulation of personal initiatives, ideas and aspirations, while fostering individual or community effort geared towards progress.
As a linkage factor, therefore, there appears to be no doubt that information provides a vital link between various segments of society towards conservation and stabilization of such society, and advancement or development of that society, through the proper harnessing of such information towards positive pursuits. It is information that has reduced the world to a global village.
Narrowing down to organisations, information sharing is very vital to the smooth running and indeed survival of many organisations.
Thus, the importance of vertical and lateral information flow is emphasised as an important element in Management and a tonic for ensuring understanding and stability.
In several organisations, both business and social, total lack of adequate information flow has had the ultimate effect of generating instability and misunderstanding leading to industrial unrest or mutual distrust. When they occur, such situations, which are negative developments in themselves do not foster progress but rather inhibit advancement, setting in retrogression with its attendant costs to all the parties concerned.
This, therefore, goes to underline the fact that in every facet of human endeavour, adequate information sharing is imperative for progressive human existence, and indeed serves as a catalyst for development.
From the foregoing it could be deduced that the role of an information officer is multifaceted and multi-dimensional as follows:
- An information officer engages in the dissemination of government information at the various levels of government and departments.
- He channels feedback to government on reactions to government policies and programmes.
- He also assists communities to disseminate information on their activities as well as those of private agencies, among other functions.
In other words, the information dissemination role of an Information Officer is broad based even though he is employed by government. This role transcends all segments of the society because in the ultimate, it is the government that benefits directly or indirectly from the unhindered flow of information in any community or state. For emphasis this free flow of information keeps the people better informed, educated, mobilized, energized and motivated to participate in government activities at their various levels. There is therefore no limitation to the duties or responsibilities of an information Officer with regard to information dissemination. Sometimes he may even be asked to engage in government propaganda, but that is not our business here. Now, in instances where some agencies of mass communication such as the radio, television and newspapers lack the wherewithal to gather or disseminate information from certain remote communities, one expects the Information Ministry to fill the gap by posting information officers to these communities to feed such agencies with information which they would now process according to their requirements.
The Information Ministry should not see this role as a favour to such media outlets but as a responsibility which it ought to execute in the overall enhancement of the flow of information.
Understanding of Role
Everybody quotes Thomas Jefferson, third President of the United States of America’s philosophy on the Freedom of Information from several perspectives, as a great exponent of Freedom of Information. He is even quoted as affirming that “Information is the currency of democracy”. That means that information helps to sustain democracy, keeps it afloat and oils it. This also means that stalling information flow could result is the stalling of democracy too and certainly applies at all levels of government-central down to the local government level as well as departments.
Having therefore attempted to establish the importance of free information flow in governmental business and the role of information officers in this regard, we may now expatiate on how the Information Officer operates or should operate and his relationship with his Chief Executive.
To enable him discharge his functions creditably, an information Officer should be well acquainted with his functions, just as his Chief Executive (in the Information Ministry) should appreciate and understand the importance of his role in the day-to-day administration of government. Consequently, our Information Officer in Ogoja should assume duty every day bubbling with enthusiasm to ensure that he executes these responsibilities to the best of his ability. He is not a sedentary worker but interacts freely in the community in which he functions, seeking information, advising community leaders on appropriate information strategies for their activities, educating them on particular government policies as they affect their lives and obtaining reactions from them for a feed back to government.
For instance, Government announces a new policy on fertilizer distribution; the Information Officer should complement the efforts of the Ministry of Agriculture to educate the people on the merits of this new policy to enable them understand, identify and factor themselves into the new arrangement for the benefit of the community. This presupposes that the Information Officer is himself well informed about such a policy. This applies to all other government policies and programmes. And having armed himself with such information either from the government or from the community, what does he do next – Transmission to his Headquarters for immediate circulation or to the relevant community for education. This also applies to Information Officers posted to government departments.
The effectiveness with which he handles this would depend to a large extent on four main factors.
1. His understanding of his role.
2. His understanding of the material to be imparted.
3. Facilities available to him for efficient functioning.
4. Full understanding and support from his Chief Executive.
There could be more, but we will limit ourselves to these four areas for now.
Let it be assumed that our Information Officer is well versed with his functions and would enthusiastically execute them, all things being equal the next case would be his full understanding of the material available to him. He needs to have a full grasp of that to enable him to handle the material effectively. What to consider therefore include;
1. The urgency.
2. The expected effect.
3. The target – political, social, economic, etc.
4. The benefits, etc.
5. Reception.
His handling of the material should therefore take account of the above factors and his success would to a large extent depend on 1, 2, 3, 4, above.
For instance, if his Chief Executive does not fully appreciate his role as an Information Officer, he may not go to great lengths to provide him with the necessary facilities to enable him discharge these functions effectively. I say go to great lengths because usually, Chief Executives do not find it easy to obtain these facilities or to distribute them owing to competing demands.
So, there must be a patent understanding and appreciation of the functions of an Information Officer by his Chief Executive for him to be able to function effectively.
I have taken some time to dilate on the functions, operations and appreciation of the role of the Information Officer in his parent organisation because this is cardinal to his successful operation, and it is this principle that would translate into any other Ministry/Department to which an Information Officer may be posted or in a community which he may be located. Without this understanding and appreciation, it may be difficult for him to function and attain a satisfactory level of performance.
Time there was in this State when the Information Ministry was a formidable channel for information dissemination. The structure, function and effectiveness of the Ministry created a situation where media organizations in the state depended to a large extent on the Ministry for daily news stories from headquarters and other parts of the state for dissemination. This was through Press Releases published by the Ministry daily. Information Officers posted to Local Government Areas as well as those attached to the various Ministries and Departments fed the Press Release unit of the Ministry daily with information on the activities in their Ministries or Departments for processing and release to Media organizations and government officials. This contributed in no small measure to effectively publicise government activities, create awareness and stimulate public participation.
Benefits to Government
I assume that the overall benefit of adequate information flow has been properly articulated by the various previous speakers and I have merely brushed on it in this presentation. However, if it is accepted that free information flow is of tremendous benefit in the day to day running of government business, then it is pathetic to observe that the effective functioning of the Information Ministry whose main responsibility is information management in all its ramifications has gradually eroded over the years. At one stage, government was even unsure of the status to accord the Ministry and downgraded it to a department and the consequent effect was the gradual retardation of the facilities to the sorry State they are now. I dare say that no matter how lofty the need for a free flow of information is propounded and theorized by intellectuals, political leaders, as well as officers in governmental administration, if this is not translated into practical application it would amount to adopting a “theoretical approach to practical problems”. Thanks to the Governor U. J. Esuene of the former Cross River State.
Therefore, Chief Executives of Ministries and Parastatals who have the benefit of having Information officers posted to them have a responsibility to assist these officers to function effectively. Such information officers should not be regarded as a burden who should merely be tolerated or spies sent to pry into the activities of such a Ministry or Agency, but as important officers deployed to assist them in the ultimate attainment of governmental goals through the vital role of information dissemination.
Most regrettably, the present Administration in the State is passing through a period of dearth of information because of the inability of the Information Ministry to harness, mobilize and apply the various information agencies under it to the optimum. This is because of the retardation of its facilities, inadequate funding and lack of training programmes for staff. The consequence is a very conservative flow of information to the governed, very minimal mobilisation effort, wrong perception of governmental activities and improper understanding of policies. The unsavoury effect therefore is inability to attract the people’s full participation thereby slowing down the wheel of progress.
Feedback
It was therefore pleasant to hear His Excellency, the Governor of the State, Senator Liyel Imoke affirm that he does not welcome sycophancy in his administration. This is most welcome, especially when it is recognized that the unbridled exhibition of sycophancy by most followers has been a contributing factor to the downfall of some leaders, especially in Africa. We do not wish to recall the “million man match” or the “third term” saga and other scenarios but sycophancy in any form, either by the media or the people is certainly destructive to the government, and by extension the citizens and should not be encouraged in any form.
This is why accurate feedback to Government either through information officers or government media agencies are important while a blanket applause of all government actions or pronouncements is totally condemnable. For instance, an information officer in an LGA should be able to. file to his principals, without being alarmist or inciting a public demonstration or criticism of government action or any matter instead of a total eclipse of that event in his report, as this would have the erroneous effect of misleading in the government that all was okay. Such a report, if properly handled would enable the government to re-appraise, modify, suspend or intensify the education of the public on the benefits of the policy for better understanding and reception Same should apply in Ministries or other Agencies to which Information Officers are posted. Chief Executives of such bodies should not regard such information as unpalatable or anti-government but as valuable information that may assist such Executives to improve on their performances through better understanding of the people’s reaction to such programmes.
In another perspective, there are instances, which the actual role of Information Officers is misunderstood by Chief Executives. When this happens it is usual to observe Information Officers performing functions that have no bearing with their official duties. Sometimes, they are turned into protocol officers, personal assistants, errand officers or such other function that does not enhance information dissemination. This should not be encouraged.
Conclusion
The free flow of information therefore is an essential ingredient of good and democratic governance and Government Information officers wherever they function are meant to serve as a catalyst in this respect Chief Executives of Ministries/Departments or Agencies where information Officers operate are therefore supposed to serve as motivators while the Information Ministry saddled with this responsibility are the executors. All should therefore function in partnership, forging a symbiotic relationship for the attainment of the ultimate objective of government which is good and democratic governance.
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