A former Speaker of Imo State House of Assembly, Hon Kennedy Ibeh has clarified on his opposition to the motion seeking the resuscitation of the Imo State Orientation Agency, ISOA.
According to Hon Ibeh, the present realities in the country do not support enlarging governmental structures especially when there is an agency that could perform same functions.
The lawmaker insisted that the absence of ISOA cannot be the reason government programmes are not given adequate publicity as held by the sponsor of the motion, Hon James Esile representing Onulmo Constituency.
Hon Ibeh who offered the clarification in an interview with our correspondent on Friday added that publicizing government programmes remains the duty of the Ministry of Information.
He stated that it is a direct indictment of the Commissioner for Information to hold the view that the public is not being adequately informed of government activities.
The member representing Obowo Constituency added that at a time of parlous economy as Nigeria is now, running a lean government than a bogus bureaucracy is a desideratum.
He said; "My position is that the absence of Imo Orientation Agency cannot be the reason why in the sponsor's opinion, government efforts towards the development of Imo State are not adequately announced or publicized.
"The responsibility of publicizing government's achievements is a deliverable of the Ministry of Information and to hold that the public is not being adequately informed about activities of government is a direct indictment of the Commissioner for Information.
"At a time when hunger and hardship pervades the country without exception of any state, call for the proliferation of agencies will only worsen the situation therefore the unexpected from any sensitive Parliament.
"Governments are reducing the size of budgets for running governance and as such reasonably merging MDAs especially when the demand on an agency could be met by a key Ministry.
"If the indigenes of Imo State are not being adequately informed of the activities and progress of Imo State Government then the competence and capacity of the Commissioner for information is called to question".
Hon Esile had at Tuesday's plenary argued that his motion stemmed from the inadequate publicity of government activities and achievements which he thinks will be addressed if the ISOA is revived.
Recall that the House adopted the motion urging the state Governor Senator Hope Uzodimma to resuscitate the agency.
