PETROLEUM MINISTER CALLS FOR EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION IN MINISTRY

The Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison Madueke has urged Public Affairs Managers in the Ministry and its Parastatals to redouble their efforts on highlighting the achievements and activities of the Ministry, to bridge any existing communication gap between the Ministry and the public.

Speaking on behalf of the Minister at the inauguration of the Forum of Heads of Public Affairs in the Ministry recently, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry Engr. Goni Sheikh, directed that mechanisms must be put in place 'for accurately monitoring and measuring critical public opinion on Government plans, activities and impact, with a view to continually improving on our service delivery'.

He stated that President Goodluck Jonathan had initiated a number of reforms in the sector with the aim of enhancing the benefits Nigerians derived from petroleum resources.

He charged the Forum to put together a comprehensive communication strategy 'to proactively engage and involve all relevant stakeholders in the industry in the process of arriving at some of these policy decisions, as well as in their implementation'.

He added that 'emphasis must now be on collaboration, co-operation and synergy between all Public Affairs Units in the Ministry and its Parastatals to deliver consistently focused, holistic, cohesive and dynamic representation of the projects and programmes of the Ministry and its Agencies.'