Accra, Jan. 20, - The 2018
retreat for deputy directors and regional information officers of the
Information Services Department (ISD), has opened with a call on stakeholders to
turn the Department into a Service.
Mr Divine Kwapong, a former
Acting Director of the ISD, who made the call in Accra on Saturday, said with
that approach a Director General would be in charge of the Service and promote
works as well as the social history of the country.
"With this, two directors
can also be nominated by the president, with directors too at the various
districts to steer affairs of the service.
"And this can be traced to
the GES and GIS systems in the country," he said.
According to Mr Kwapong, with the
new change and arrangement, many people at the various sections could also rise
to become directors just as it was happening in the GIS and GES sector.
He also urged the Minister of
Information, Mr Mustapha Hamid, to conduct a self assessment study to determine
whether a large number of staff and cinema vans were needed to do the
work.
Mr Mustapha Hamid, the Minister
of Information, said ISD had a huge role to play in promoting national values
and to help in that regard, there was going to be the provision of cinema vans,
which are the authentic voice to the country's development.
"And I assure you that 5 per
region will be provided next year," he said.
Mr Hamid has also promised a
laptop for each district information officer in the country.
Responding to Mr Kwapong's call,
the Information Minister said efforts are in place to ensure that qualified
people are promoted to the director level with the national boss being named as
the Director General of ISD."
He urged staff and management of
ISD to work with truth and integrity at all times.
Ms Elizabeth Efua Essel, the
Acting Director of ISD, urged staff to have a change of attitude towards work
and help improve the lot of the Department.
She appealed to the Information
Minister to assist the Department with logistics and equipment especially
cinema vans to enhance their work.
We are about 216, I know you can't provide all of us a
van, but the number you pledged would
greatly help, she said.
Some participants who spoke to
the GNA said the programme was timely and laudable especially when it was a
platform for them to share ideas pertaining to their jobs.
However, due to lack of
logistics, Mr Charles Wereko, the Deputy Director of Finance and Administration
at the ISD, said: "Digitization of
personnel records, scanning of information of personnel on all files, has
become a challenge with only 300 out of the over a 1,000 personnel has been
successful."
He called for assistance that
would help in the branding and work schedule of the ISD.
Madam Jemima Nancy Asare, the
Deputy Director of Operations of the ISD, called for a better succession plan
towards the affairs of ISD.
She said there was no crop of
staff to step in when the elderly officers had retire, and there is the need
for that gap to be closed to ensure effective work coordination at the sector.
The retreat which was on the
theme: "Craving a new image for the ISD", brought deputy directors
and regional information officer across the country together to deliberate on
ways of improving the department.
GNA
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