The Cross River State Government has mounted pressure on its media and communications aides, with the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Pastor Ekpenyong Ene Cobham, telling them to work harder and justify their positions.
Cobham gave the warning during his maiden meeting with media and communications aides attached to the office of Governor Bassey Otu.
The commissioner reportedly told the aides in clear terms: “You must earn your pay,” while charging them to take greater responsibility for communicating the activities and achievements of the state government to the public.
He said the administration was implementing programmes and projects across different sectors, including infrastructure, education, healthcare and agriculture, and urged the media team to ensure that residents were adequately informed about them.
Cobham also called on the aides to move beyond routine publicity and become more proactive in creating and distributing content about the government’s activities.
According to the state government, the commissioner expressed concern over what he described as false narratives being circulated about the administration. He urged the media team to respond with facts and provide the public with information about the government’s programmes and achievements.
He further called for better coordination among the different media and communications personnel working for the government, saying stronger collaboration would improve the way the administration communicates with the people.
The meeting also provided an opportunity for some of the aides to raise concerns affecting their work, with Cobham promising to look into issues within his responsibility.
The Special Adviser on Media and Publicity and Chief Press Secretary, Linus Obogo; Special Adviser on Content Development and Archiving, Beatrice Akpala; and General Manager of the Cross River Broadcasting Corporation, Sam Nsor, reportedly pledged their cooperation with the commissioner.
Cobham’s warning has placed renewed attention on the role of government media aides and the expectations attached to public communication positions, particularly their responsibility to keep citizens informed about government policies, projects and programmes.
The commissioner’s message was clear: media aides working with the Cross River State Government are expected to be more active, coordinated and productive in communicating the administration’s activities to the public.
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