Zamfara Gov’t Bars MDAs from Speaking to Press

Zamfara state has barred officials from Ministries, Departments, and Agencies from disseminating information regarding policies and programmes of the government.

The Commissioner for Information, Alhaji Ibrahim Dosara, made the disclosure while addressing members of the Correspondents Chapel in Gusau on Thursday.

Dosara said Zamfara government centralized information management to the ministry to curtail the spread of fake news and misinformation to the people of Zamfara.

“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 the government.

”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 centralize 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.

“These two people are the custodians of information of the government of Zamfara state as far as the present predicament is concerned.

“We also appeal to journalists to take it as a working tool that is making it easier for you to have access to the information you are looking for to write your reports.

“Anybody that speaks to you on behalf of the 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 said.

Meanwhile, Gov. Bello Matawalle has approved the appointment of Malam Musa Mailafiya as the new Director-General, Public Enlightenment, Media and Communications, government house.

Matawalle, in a statement issued by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Kabiru Balarabe, said the appointment is with immediate effect.

Mailafiya replaced Yusuf Idris Gusau who is now the All Progressives Congress (APC) state Publicity Secretary. (NAN)