Officials of ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) in Zamfara state have been barred by the state government from speaking to the media.
Ibrahim Dosara, the Zamfara commissioner for information who made the announcement on Thursday, December 2, said the decision was taken to control misinformation.
Dosara added that only the ministry of information or the commissioner for information 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.
He said;
“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 aggravating 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.”