Ambode says information is fuel of good governance

Lagos State governor, Akinwunmi Ambode has said that information is the fuel of government that should be treated as a valued asset. He said for good governance to thrive, adequate information dissemination and management is a major component not to be overlooked.

According to him, this is why every responsible government should, and would always place premium on establishment, maintenance and sustenance of modern and effective information management system.

The governor said this in his keynote address at the training of some senior civil servants in the state with the theme: “Information Management for Positive Perception of Lagos State Government Programmes, The Role of Civil Service”.

Ambode, who was represented by the state’s Commissioner for Establishments, Training and Pensions, Dr. Akintola Benson Oke, said while it might be true that what sustains a government or a system of government is the will of the people, it must be considered that what influence the will of the people is information and the way it was managed.

According to Governor Ambode, the onus of making this possible falls on the civil service and, therefore, the reason why “in most democracies of the world it (civil service) represents the ‘permanent government’ that must be equipped to adequately advise the government of the day, implement government programmes and effectively communicate the reasoning behind government-sanctioned programmes to the citizens.”

“The net effect is that if civil servants are well-equipped to discharge these tasks, the programmes of government will be positively perceived by the populace and will thus receive the needed support for success,” the governor said, even as he reiterated his administration’s unrepentant and dogged belief in the all-important role of the civil service in the state.

“This is what informs the many varied and in-dept trainings that have been delivered to all cadres of Lagos State civil service since the assumption of office in 2015.

“Today’s training continues in that laudable tradition with a focus on how the Lagos State civil service can be better equipped to accurately, effectively, and positively communicate government decisions, actions, and programmes to the citizens of Lagos State and the world at large,” Governor Ambode said.