In a bid to regulate official communications, the Zamfara state government has prohibited political office holders and agency heads from engaging with the media, including radio, TV, and social media, without prior clearance from the authorities.
Media organizations in the state have also been warned to desist from airing or producing radio or TV programs without obtaining the necessary approval from the Ministry of Information, or face the consequences.
The Commissioner of Information, Mannir Haidara, has reiterated the ministry’s commitment to monitoring and ensuring that all radio stations comply with the rules, leaving no room for deviation.
The statement reads: “The Zamfara state government has observed with dismay the attitudes of some individuals, political groups and heads of MDAs towards conducting radio, television stations and social media platforms interviews and programmes on state government’s policies and programmes without following the right channels”.
“In an effort to checkmate the unwanted behaviour, the Zamfara state Ministry of Information and Culture hereby announce that henceforth no political office holder, group or head of any agencies is allowed to conduct any interview, issue statement or air a programme on radio, television stations or social media without seeking a permission from the authority”.
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“Moreover, the Ministry of Information and Culture is hereby calling on the media organisations based in the state to desist from conducting or airing any radio or television programmes on government’s policies for any individuals or group of people without the approval of the supervising Ministry or the Ministry of Information“.
It further stated that The government’s information arm has pledged to keep a hawk’s eye on radio broadcasts, ensuring that every tidbit of information shared with the public about government initiatives and policies is accurate, reliable, and disseminated effectively.
It assured that by doing so, the ministry aims to foster a culture of transparency and trust, where citizens can rely on the information they receive to make informed decisions.
“The information ministry is highly committed to observing and monitoring the radio stations for compliance and ensuring that all Information passed to the general public on government and its policies are true and properly disseminated”.