By Godwill Arthur-Mensah
Accra, July 18, GNA — Mr Felix Kwakye Ofosu, the Minister of State in charge of Government Communications, has urged Public Relations Officers (PROs) within the Information Services Department (ISD) to prioritise efficiency and professionalism in their roles as spokespersons for their respective Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
The Minister, in his maiden engagement with the PROs in Accra, as part of the World Public Relations Day celebrations, underscored the need for the ISD PROs to exhibit professionalism, competence and efficient delivery of task following the restructuring of the hitherto Ministry of Information.
Mr Kwakye Ofosu encouraged them to adopt “efficiency” as their guiding principle, noting that, the government expected unwavering commitment and promptitude in performing their duties.
“With a leaner political leadership, much of the work now falls on you, and we expect exceptional efficiency from you,” the Minister stated.
Responding to concerns about potential witch-hunting targeting PROs in their respective workplaces, the Minister remarked: “You have our full support to perform your duties.
“There’s no need to fear repercussions as long as you maintain professionalism in your work.”
Touching on the recent PROs reshuffle, the Minister clarified that the government was solely focused on the productivity of PR Officers and that any re-assignment was intended to optimise operational efficiency.
While acknowledging the challenges of office reassignments and empathising with the officers’ discomfort, Mr Kwakye Ofosu encouraged them to embrace their new roles and strive for excellence in their new assignments.
He cautioned against engaging in turf wars or partisan politics, emphasising that, while President Mahama-led administration has no intention of targeting individuals, PROs must maintain political neutrality as civil servants.
He also announced plans for quarterly meetings to foster collaboration, knowledge sharing, and professional growth among PR officers.
Dr. Winnifred Nafisa Mahama, the Acting Director of the ISD, announced that following a review of the BONSU platform ( a digitalised platform used to communicate government policies and programmes) by the government’s communications team, several enhancements were being implemented to integrate modern technological and artificial intelligence tools.
She noted that those improvements would make the platform more robust, efficient, and reliable for disseminating information about government activities.
Dr. Mahama remarked: “We are in a new era, and we must adapt accordingly.”
She assured the PROs that the Sector Minister was deeply interested in their work and would continue to support them as long as they remained diligent and dedicated.
Dr. Mahama urged them to avoid competition and instead offer consistent support to their colleagues.
The Reverend Charlotte Hanson, the Head of the Public Relations Coordinating Division at the ISD, urged all PROs to join the BONSU platform and regularly update it, as the reports posted would be used for the mid-year assessment.
She emphasised the need for capacity building in that area, noting that some PROs incorrectly categorise their media engagements under the PR Alert column.
Additionally, Rev. Hanson highlighted the need for capacity building for feature articles, a key deliverable for PROs, and reminded them that they must produce at least one article per quarter, with a total of four articles submitted by the end of the calendar year.
She expressed confidence that with requisite training, they would be well-equipped to meet their targets.
The interactive session provided an opportunity for the PROs to ask the Sector Minister relevant questions concerning their work.
GNA
Christian Akorlie