- Asamoah Boateng tells staff

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mr. Stephen Asamoah Boateng, has stated that the major responsibility of staff of the Information Services Department (ISD), is to make known the achievements of the ruling government, especially, developmental projects.

According to him, since the department was the mouthpiece, and communication tool, which sells and markets government’s development agenda, he would not hesitate to fire any staff or group of individuals, who would play adamant, and attempt to undermine the campaign of projecting the achievements of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government.

He made the remark when he met with district, municipal and metropolitan chief executives, and staff of the Information Services Department, in Koforidua recently. Explaining further, the Minister, who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Mfantsiman West, in the Central Region, said the only way to enhance and market government programmes, was through information dissemination to the door-steps of Ghanaians.

Mr. Boateng, popularly known as “Asaabee,” lauded the effort and achievements of the NPP government, in the area of information dissemination, as well as the distribution of information vans to district offices, throughout the country. He noted that the NPP government was the only administration, which had distributed information vans to the entire districts in the country, since the establishment of the department, many years ago.

According to him, the establishment of radio and television stations was a clear manifestation of the good governance exhibited by the NPP leadership, in order to enhance information dissemination in the country. That notwithstanding, he urged staff of the ISD, not to confine themselves to the use of the vans alone, but also embark on door-to-door information dissemination, in order to sell the programs of the government.

He also pushed them to exhibit a high level of maturity, and professionalism in the discharge of duties, and desist from politics, in their effort to disseminate information on government projects.

The Mfantsiman MP indicated that Ghanaians would dishonour themselves, if they fail to retain the NPP in power, come December 2008, since the party had proven to Ghanaians that it had done well, and could do more, when it comes to development.

He mentioned the School Feeding Programme, National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Capitation Grant among others, as some the good governance the NPP government had brought about, within its seven and half years in office. He, however, called on all and sundry, to put their shoulders to the wheel, in order to contribute their quota to the development of the country, since the government alone couldn’t do all. On his part, the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr. Kwadjo Affram Asiedu, on behalf of the region, expressed his appreciation to the Information Minister, for the initiative taken to propagate the good news about the work of the government.