The Minister of Information and Communications, Prof. Dora Akunyili, has lamented the shutting down of the nation’s official website – www.nigeria.gov.ng – as a result of the inability of government officials to maintain the national flagship.
Akunyili, who spoke at the first meeting she had with heads of parastatals under the ministry in Abuja late on Tuesday, also gave all agencies in the ministry a deadline of March 2009 to establish their own websites.
She also barred officials of the ministry and the parastatals from receiving free telephone lines and cable televisions, directing those that already had such gifts to return them before the end of January 2009.
Noting that the incidence of poor telecommunications services has continued, the minister directed the Nigerian Communications Commission to monitor and report quality of service parameters on regular weekly basis.
She said, “Today, we live in an information age where access to information should be made readily available, and yet information about Nigeria from Nigeria is not easily accessible. I find it disheartening that the Ministry of Information and Communications does not have a website.
“It is also very discomforting that our flagship corporation, Nigerian Television Authority, does not have a website. It is unfortunate that the official government website www.nigeria.gov.ng, which was launched in 2005, and recoded 1.3 million visits in its first year, making it one of the most viable national websites in the world, has been shut down for many months. This website, which serves as a gateway to Nigeria, must be reactivated.
“Every parastatal must have an active and vibrant website up and running before the end of March 2009, and I am ready to support you to make sure that this happens. On our part, before the end of March 2009, this ministry will create a vibrant website that will enable people around the world to find everything they need to know about Nigeria in a click. This will be an interactive website that will allow people to ask questions and get answers. It will also provide polling opportunities as an avenue to know the feelings and desires of our people on various issues.”
On telecommunications, Akunyili said it was general knowledge that services rendered by telecom operators were poor, adding that most Nigerians were unhappy and expressing displeasure over the services of mobile telecom operators.
The minister said the incidences of dropped calls, poor voice signal quality and poor reception have caused unnecessary financial burdens for Nigerians as they carry multiple handsets to be able to connect to working networks.