The General Manager of Abia Newspapers and Publishing Corporation (ANPC), publishers of the weekly Ambassador Newspaper and monthly National Ambassador Magazine, Hon. Jones Nnanna Ike, has disclosed that plans are in top gear to open and properly equip regional offices of the news agency across the nation to widen its coverage and also upgrade the publishing section of the corporation to improve its revenue-generating potential. According to the GM, the agency is not only about newspaper production but also has a publishing section that will be improved to increase its internally generated revenue (IGR) as a revenue-generating agency.
The ANPC boss disclosed this recently at the first general meeting held with all staff of the corporation at the editorial hall of ANPC headquarters in Umuahia.
Hon. Ike, who appreciated the Executive Governor of the state, His Excellency Dr. Alex Chioma Otti, for transforming the corporation into a world-class modern office complex, recounted that prior to the administration of Gov. Otti, the ANPC office premises were in a sorry state characterized by dilapidated infrastructure and a lack of electricity or water.
The GM, who gave an overview of the journey so far and tagged it “From Retrogression to Progress”, since assuming office as the General Manager in July 2023, affirmed that through the intervention of Gov. Otti, the ugly narrative he met on the ground has changed. The corporation headquarters can now boast of a completely renovated modern office building equipped with modern working tools, provision of a functional borehole, and most importantly, the restoration of power supply.
Speaking on the progress recorded in 2024, he disclosed that security challenges have been addressed, the office spaces are now comprehensively equipped with modern tables and chairs, there is now constant water and electricity in the office premises, production quality has improved, the corporation has successfully migrated to TSA (Treasury Single Account), expanded the IGR window, improved its online platforms, and more. He therefore challenged the staff that the records of last year must be surpassed as part of the mandate for 2025 since most of the challenges have been met.
The GM, who was impressed by the high turnout of staff at the meeting, charged them on the need to get involved in building up the corporation. He disclosed that the task is for everyone and should not be left in the hands of the General Manager alone. He stated that all hands must be on deck to drive the IGR of the agency and further announced the institution of a monthly/yearly award of recognition for outstanding staff.
On his part, the Director/Head of Administration, ANPC, Comrade D.A. Nmereole, encouraged the staff to be their brother’s keeper and ensure that love and unity exist amongst them.
He noted that there has been improvement in areas of discipline and that he will enforce the relevant Public Service Rules (PSR), such as issuing queries for absenteeism, truancy, lateness to work, and other misconducts.
The Head of the Commercial Department, Mrs. Mary Ndubuka, and the ICT Head, Mr. Michael Iheadindu, in their reports, encouraged all staff to engage in marketing for more advertisements to sustain production and growth. They emphasized repackaging the paper to encourage sales, engaging on all National Ambassador’s online platforms to increase the their visibility, and sustaining the posting of quality stories, videos, and more to improve National Ambassador’s online rating
