New Telegraph

Fake news, world’s deadliest pandemic, says Lagos Commissioner

Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Gbenga Omotoso Thursday warned Lagosians to be wary of fake news, saying that no disease is afflicting the world more than the issue of fake news.

The commissioner, who also said that the aftermath of fake news menace is deadlier than COVID-19 pandemic ravaging the world, implored all stakeholders in information management to join in the fight against the menace.

Speaking at a three-day retreat organised by the state Ministry of Information and Strategy for its Public Affairs Officers (PAOs) at the management level, Omotoso charged the media professionals, particularly information managers at various MDAs, to be wary of fake news and its dangers.

Omotoso described the theme for the event entitled: “Managing Information Through the New Media in a Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous and Disruptive (VUCAD) World” as apt, saying there is an urgent need for the professionals to critically verify every bit of information at their disposal before disseminating them to the public.

At the event were other stakeholders which include leaders of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Nigeria Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), editors of different media organisations. They charged the PAOs to catch up with the new trend in information management in order to check fake news.

Omotoso said: “I can tell you that no disease is afflicting the world more than the issue of fake news and this is the time all practitioners should rise up and phase it out. I know that if our information officers should start moving with trends, it would be of great advantage.

“All information managers in this administration of Babajide Sanwo-Olu should try to be up and doing. They have done well and can still do better.”

In his keynote address at the event, the Head of Service, Mr. Hakeem Muri-Okunola, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Cabinet Office, Mrs. Tolani Oshodi, expressed appreciation to the ministry for convening a retreat packed with programmes that will improve the skills and output of its team, just as he reflected that information management and dissemination has moved a notch higher than what was the norm.

The Head of Service, therefore, urged participants to take full advantage of the opportunity provided by the forum to improve their knowledge, skills and competencies as information management professionals, while making meaningful and impactful contributions towards achieving the set objectives of the exercise.

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