Public Relation officers should do what they are paid for

Editor, Because of the rate at which our country is developing many researchers, visitors and journalists are curious to know how Rwanda managed to achieve unbelievable developmental progress in various sectors only fifteen years after the terrible events of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Our country is cited as an example to other nations for many clear reasons; for example, the good performance in the Doing Business report this year, for the strides in curbing corruption, the success stories in the health sector, good governance and cleanliness to mention but a few! The problem at hand however, is that, while Public Relation officers or spokespersons of institutions are paid purposely to offer this information about the companies they represent, many do not talk to the people who approach them. It really bothers me that they even go an extra mile of pretending that they are in “meetings” like all the time. On several occasions, I have made calls to these people and surprisingly after answering the call and letting you ask questions, the irrelevant answer then comes, “sorry I am in a meeting.” How then will other countries learn from us if we can not tell these stories? Sometimes I even tend to think that they ( the PRO’s) are against this progress. Director Generals, Ministers and managers out there, please make it a point to ensure that your organization’s / institution’s PRO or spokesperson is the kind that is well informed and one who is in position to deliver the information required by the public. keishaed@yahoo.com

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Public Relation officers should do what they are paid for