The Minister for information and communications Mr. John Odey has told information Managers that were in Yanagoa, Bayelsa state to attend the 39th meeting of the National Council on information and communications that community information centres would soon be set up in all local government across the country.

The meeting with the theme; ‘managing information for national development' is a yearly convention of information and media practitioners in the country.

Mr. Odey said the information centres would enable members of the public to gain access to information on government policies and programmes as well as ensure an enduring feedback channel.

To achieve this effectively, the Federal government has directed its ministry of information and communications to improve its information activities across the country and cement collaboration efforts with state information ministries and other information agencies.

Mr. Odey said in line with the theme of the conference, government is resolved to continued to create and maintain avenues for the citizenry to participate effectively in governance.

He said the expected sectoral development can not be possible if government programmes ,especially the seven-point agenda of the Yar'Adua administration is not understood by members of the public.

According to him, the executive would give necessary support to the National Assembly to achieve press freedom adding that the public information strategy of the ministry of information would harness efforts to create the enabling environment for socio-economic development.

The vice chairman of senate committee on information, senator Tony Manzo and the deputy chairman, house committee on information and communications in the house of representatives Mr. Paul Ada said though issues on information and communications have been over-looked in the past, its role in development and governance is unavoidable.

They urged journalists to re-examine the impact of negative reportage and called for a proactive practice that respect national integrity.

The governor of Bayelsa State Chief Timipre Slyva said managing information is an onerous task but noted that sincerity and correct information elicits genuine communication and reduces friction.

He expressed the hope that Nigeria would not lag behind in harnessing the advantages of modern communication technology to be relevant in the comity of nations.

In his lectures, the chief executive officer of WANAD Centre in Benin Republic, Professor Alfred Opubo urged the relevant agency to approve the community radio policy draft of 2006 to open up a sustainable channel that would ensure feedback from the grassroot level.

About three hundren and fourty five delegates from 34 states and the federal capital territory, aside state information commissioners and permanent secretaries attended the meeting.