The Local Government election have come and gone, the decisions made across will be with us throughout this administration. Most of the Local Government are expected to unveil various appointment soonest, this will come in different direction. In my opinion one of the relevant appointment that every chairman should not gloss over is the Chief Press Secretary or the SA Media. Just for every organization or company that relate to the public the position of a Publicity Secretary is sacrosanct. I have highlighted eight reasons why a chairman should appoint CPS and the reasons are inexhaustive.
1. Communication channel: Communication they say is key. Chairmen of a Local Government have the responsibility to close the communication gap between his administration and people. This will be the responsibility of the CPS. The CPS will help reach out to the community and get feedback from the people to the chairman. This communication channel is very important to the success of an administration.
2. Projection of Activities: In Nigeria, there is almost a general consensus that government at the local level are burden to the people. Giant project of some Local Government are known to microscopic percentage of residence. A CPS will assist the chairman to project the various activities and achievements of the administration.
3. Employment opportunity: Appointing a CPS will reduce the number of jobless youth in your community. It is most likely an active community graduate will take up such an important position within the council. The CPS of most Government are usually vibrant youth who will give their best to their immediate community.
4. Compliant desk: The CPS also serve as the compliant receiver for the administration. In most cases a CPS is accessible by the public, they will make their complain on various things in the community known to him or her to be pass on to the boss. This is usually on of the salient role played by a CPS.
5. Online Manager: In this computer age, the Local Government can not but be actively present online. The coordination of this presence is always a job of a CPS. The CPS will put the administration on active social medium.
6. Spokesperson: Every administration need a known spokesperson. The Executive Chairman needs to make the public know that there is someone he has appointed to speak on his behalf. A CPS writeup and publication are taken as the expression of the chairman to his or her people.
7. Publicity: Publicizing the activities of a local government through all available medium is the job of a CPS. The CPS use both local and global tools to make the achievements of the chairman and his team known to the people.
8. Media intermediary: The Executive Chairman cannot be every doing everything. The CPS act as an interface between the chairman and the media. He or she prepared the media environment for the chairman, defend and project his progress through the media.
The position of a Chief Press Secretary ought to be gazette by the state Government as Special Adviser on Media & Publicity, an important offices that will interface with the public. This will provide adequate true information about governance in this era of fake news.
Ayinde Jamiu Kunle is the former S.A Media of Alimosho Local Government.
