Gov Otu Restricts Cross River Appointees from Media Engagements

Cross River State Governor Bassey Otu has issued a directive prohibiting his appointees, particularly those in the information cluster, from speaking to journalists or issuing press statements without proper authorization.

The directive, communicated through a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information, Dr. Erasmus Ekpang, comes after the state government observed what it described as "flagrant and unauthorized issuance of press releases, statements and granting of interviews on critical policies" by some government officials.

According to the statement, some political appointees have been making critical decisions without due authorization and have "arrogated to themselves the role of official spokespersons of the State Government and that of the Governor."

The commissioner emphasized that only two officials are authorized to speak on behalf of the Cross River State government: "Only the Commissioner for Information and the Chief Press Secretary/Special Adviser on Media and Publicity are officially mandated to issue any public statement on behalf of the Government of Cross River State in general and His Excellency, the Governor of Cross River State in particular."

Dr. Ekpang further stipulated that henceforth, all press releases, statements, or any official government communication must be vetted and approved by either himself or the chief press secretary to the governor before being released to the public.

This move appears to be part of efforts to streamline government communication and ensure consistent messaging from the Cross River State administration under Governor Otu's leadership.

The directive comes amid various ongoing initiatives in the state, including the governor's recent warnings to local government bosses regarding peace enforcement and his encouragement to Nigerian youths to acquire future-driven skills rather than relying solely on certificates.

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