Western Regional Minister Hands Over Broadcast Vans To ISD

The Western Regional Minister, Mr. Joseph Nelson, has handed over three brand-new outdoor broadcast vans to the Information Services Department (ISD) in the region, with a firm warning that the vehicles must be used solely for their intended purpose of public education and community outreach.

At a brief but significant ceremony held at the premises of the Western Regional Coordinating Council, the Minister stressed that the vehicles were procured to strengthen communication between government and citizens, particularly in remote and underserved communities where access to credible information remains a challenge.

The handover, though modest in scale, carried a powerful message on accountability, efficiency and the responsible use of public resources.

Mr. Nelson said the vans were not meant for personal errands, private engagements or unrelated assignments, but rather to serve as mobile communication centres that would carry important government information directly to the people.

“These vehicles belong to the people of Ghana and must be used for the people,” he stated, urging officers of the department to ensure that the vans are deployed regularly and effectively.

The Minister cautioned against the all-too-common practice of state vehicles being diverted for unofficial purposes or left idle while communities remain disconnected from essential national programmes and policy updates.

He noted that public trust in government institutions depends not only on policy delivery, but also on ensuring that citizens are well-informed and engaged.

“I do not want to hear stories of these vehicles parked under trees, abandoned in offices, or turned into school vans by the roadside. They are meant to work, and they must work for the people,” He warned.

The donation of the vans is expected to revitalize the operations of the Information Services Department in the Western Region, which covers a vast geographical area with diverse communities, including coastal settlements, mining enclaves, farming districts and rapidly expanding municipalities.

For years, logistical constraints have limited the department’s ability to undertake frequent public education campaigns, town hall engagements and emergency information dissemination.

The new vehicles, each fitted with public address systems and designed to support mobile outreach teams, are expected to significantly enhance the department’s field operations.

Receiving the vehicles on behalf of the Information Services Department, the Western Regional Director, Mr. Thomas Tabiri, expressed gratitude to the Minister and the government for the support.

He described the intervention as timely and strategic, noting that the vans would improve the department’s ability to reach citizens with accurate information and counter misinformation.

Mr Tabiri said the three vans would be deployed across major operational zones in the region, including the northern belt, the coastal corridor and mining-affected districts where information gaps often create fertile ground for rumours and confusion.

“These vehicles will multiply our reach and strengthen our engagement with communities that have long needed more direct communication from the state,” he said.

He assured the Minister and the public that the department would maintain the vans properly and ensure they are used strictly for official duties.

The handover comes at a time when governments across the world are placing renewed emphasis on public communication as an essential tool for governance, especially in addressing misinformation, promoting civic responsibility and ensuring public participation in development programmes.

In Ghana, the Information Services Department remains one of the oldest state communication institutions, tasked with taking government messages to the grassroots through community engagements, public sensitisation campaigns and direct outreach initiatives.

Observers say the Western Region, with its strategic importance in mining, oil and gas production, fisheries and agriculture, requires a robust information system capable of reaching communities quickly and effectively.

Many rural settlements in the region still depend on face-to-face communication, mobile vans and community durbars for updates on health campaigns, government interventions, environmental concerns and local development programmes.

The addition of the three outdoor broadcast vans is, therefore, being seen as more than a logistical boost. It is also a reaffirmation of the importance of connecting governance to the grassroots.

As the keys changed hands, the Minister’s warning remained the defining note of the ceremony: public resources must serve the public interest. For residents across the Western Region, the hope now is that the vans will soon be seen not parked in silence, but on the move — carrying information, building trust and strengthening the bridge between the state and the citizen.

 

 

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