Stakeholders urged to change Information Services Department status into a Service

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.

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.