The Staff and Management of Abia Newspapers and Publishing Corporation, have been charged to be committed to their duties, as the government is ready to reposition the organization for better efficiency, so as to fulfill its mandate of establishment.
Interacting with the Management and Staff of the Corporation yesterday in a familiarization visit to the Abia Newspaper and Publishing Corporation, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Barr Eze Chikamnayo stated government’s resolve to revive the print media of the state, so as to deliver maximally in its mandate as stipulated by government.
Eze Chikamnayo
Barr Chikamnayo who visited the Abia Newspaper Corporation alongside the Permanent Secretary, Ministry for Information and Strategy, Deaconess Caroline Igwe and other top Directors of the Ministry, said the corporation would undergo a total restructuring from the structural work to workers attitude, providing of mobility and other logistics needed for the smooth run of the establishment.
“We must reorganize this place for efficiency.This place has a mandate it was created.It is to document government activities.While BCA is the electronic arm, Abia Newspapers is the print section.
“Your mandate is to document stories, change of names, events, Government gazette,so that it can be a reference point in the future.
“Abia Newspapers occupies a pivotal role in the discharge of government activities, hence the need to ensure that the Law that set it up, is actualized”, he explained.
The Information boss further directed that Information officers in the parent Ministry, be transferred on secondment to Abia Newspapers to further help the repositioning process, adding that a Planning officer that would help the establishment plan standard budget be sent and also instructed the Editor of the National Ambassador Newspapers, Kingsley Ugorji,to set up pages that would cover local contents like the activities of the various Local Government Area chairmen and also set up Special Project Units that would handle special events, which he narrated would boost the productivity of the establishment and also yield them profit.
“We are here not to witch-hunt anybody but to make everyone to work.
“The government will not sack anyone because the Governor,Dr Okezie Ikpeazu is passionate about workers’ and their welfare, that is why you have not heard of any retrenchment in Abia Civil Service since he came on board”.
He reiterated that government is not sacking anybody but everybody must work diligently, adding that “if anyone fails to work, such a person might be showing himself the way out”.
The Commissioner, however, lamented that the Abia Newspaper parastatal has become a cluster of gossips, instead of being a cluster of think tanks, adding that such abnormality cannot be sustained under his watch as the Information Commissioner.
Meanwhile, Barr Chikamnayo, disclosed that it would nolonger be business as usual, calling on all staff of the parastatal to live up to their duties,as it is only those that work that would get wages.
Responding, the Editor of the National Ambassador Newspapers, Kingsley Ugorji,who appreciated the Commissioner for his visit, narrated that the organization needs total repositioning and pleaded that more trainings be given to the staff for better productivity.
