Proper information management has been described as an effective tool to prevent the spread of rumours which is capable of destroying society and has the potential to shape the thoughts and values of the people, hence the need for government officials not to hoard necessary information that is meant for public consumption.

The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Alhaji Waheed Odusile made this known during a two-day Management Retreat organised by the Ministry of Environment and its Sister Agencies at the Mitros Hall, Abeokuta for senior environmental officers with the theme, “Refocusing Strategies for Better Environmental Governance in Ogun State”.

Odusile while delivering his keynote address said, "the purpose of managing information is to design, develop and use information with insight and innovation to support decision making and create value for individuals, governments, organisations, communities and societies at large."

The Commissioner urged the leadership of the Ministry to always grant access to information managers to be part of the agency's management meetings where important decisions are made so that they could have first-hand information to disseminate to the public.

Highlighting three basic principles of Information Management that are core for information to be disseminated, the former President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists said “a wise information manager must send out information that is true in a simple and clear manner”.

Odusile said while disseminating information to the people, the nature of the message to be passed across and the kind of audience determines the medium to be adopted for effectiveness.