With the new directive, only the information ministry, information commissioner and the Special adviser on media to Governor Matawalle are allowed to speak to journalists about the programmes of the government.
The Governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle has barred officials of Ministries, Departments and Agencies from giving journalists information about the government.
With the new directive, only the information ministry, information commissioner and the Special adviser on media to Governor Matawalle are allowed to speak to journalists about the programmes of the government.
The state information commissioner, Alhaji Ibrahim Dosara disclosed this on Thursday while addressing members of the Correspondents Chapel in Gusau, the state capital.
He noted that to curb the spread of fake news, only his ministry will give out information henceforth.
He said the decision was taken 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".
He said, ”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 centralise information.
“Council took the decision 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.”