Saturday, July 9, 2011

Abati Promises Easy Access to Information On Presidency

Daily Trust
8 July 2011


The new Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Reuben Abati, has promised to adopt an open-door policy that will give newsmen easy access to information on the presidency.

He said when journalists have access to information on the presidency they would be discouraged from the enticement of writing speculative stories.

Abati spoke yesterday while entertaining questions from State House correspondents after he was sworn-in along with 12 other special advisers to the President at the Council Chamber of the State, Abuja.

Abati, who replaced Ima Niboro as the media spokesman to the president, was the Chairman, Editorial Board of the Guardian newspaper.

He said: "My responsibility is to help editors and reporters get access to information, get access to the facts so that the reporting of the presidency will be informed.

"I believe that when there is no openness, when there is no transparency in terms of access to information then people will be tempted to speculate, people will be tempted to make vague assumptions. But when we run an open door policy and we stand by basic principles, then of course, the job will be easier.

"Don't forget that the media is a major stakeholder in this enterprise and this is something that the president understands very well and my own understanding is that he is calling on all Nigerians including the media and other groups in civil society to join him in building a better society."

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