As Governor’s Press Secretary Reportedly Chases Reporters Away from Govt Function
By Our Correspondent
Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo has concluded plans to shut down the only Igbo language newspaper existing in the world, the Ka Ọ Dị Taa Igbo newspaper, which the State Government is privileged to be its owner.
It was gathered that the Governor raised the issue in the last Anambra State Executive Council (ANSEC) weekly meeting, where he re-tabled, one more time, his interest to shut down the Anambra Newspapers and Printing Corporation (ANPC) and ‘sack’ all the staff of the institution.
ANPC is a parastatal of the Anambra State Government and the institution that publishes the National Light Newspaper (which is the longest-thriving state-owned newspaper in Nigeria), Ka Ọ Dị Taa Newspaper (which is currently the only existing Igbo language newspaper in the world), Sportslight Xtra (a sports-alone newspaper), and the Homeland (which is more like an entertainment-oriented newspaper).
The Governor, according to sources, told the State Executive Council members, during the last EXCO meeting, that he will shut down the institution for not generating enough money to his administration.
It was also gathered that the Governor said he would also sack all the staff of the institution, numbering about two hundred (200), and convert the organisation to an amusement park that will be able to yield him enough money to deliver his Solution Promise to the people of the State.
A source told 247ureports that the Governor, who is an Economist, said he preferred sacking the staff of the institution, instead of redeploying them into other ministries, to avoid the State Government spending further money in paying their salaries and their retirees’ entitlements.
Armed with adequate information on the Governor’s plan about the institution and its staff, most of whom are also members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), the Anambra State Chairman of NUJ, Dr. Odogwu Emeka Odogwu, in a viral article personally written by him, urged the Governor not to shut down the institution and sack its staff, considering the prevailing economic realities in the country today.
According to him, workers in the institution should be redeployed to other parastatals, ministries and agencies of the state government, if the Governor must close the organisation, so as to avoid exposing them and their dependants to more untold hardships that may arise from their dismissal, as was reportedly planned by the Governor.
In his reaction to the NUJ Chairman’s article, the Anambra State Commissioner for Information, Sir Paul Nwosu, admitted that plan to shut down the institution had been repeatedly raised by the Governor in the State Executive Council meeting, but, however, noted that the arrangement concerning its closure would be made public when concluded.
He also faulted the NUJ Chairman for being the first to expose the plan to the public, while the State EXCO is still deliberating over the matter.
“The issue of the National Light is still being intensively considered by the Anambra State Executive Council (ANSEC), and as soon as there is a firm decision, the news will be formally made public, but not through a grapevine or a mole,” he said.
Notwithstanding the Commissioner’s claim that Governor Soludo has not yet finalized arrangements on the closure of the organisation, some reports have it that the Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Christian Aburime, has already begun to marginalize, sideline and drop some of the reporters from the National Light Newspapers attached to the Governor’s Press Crew and those sent to cover some official functions at the Government House and Governor’s Lodge respectively.
According to the reports, the National Light reporters recently went (as usual) to cover government activities in the Government House, but were chased out by the Governor’s Press Secretary, Mr. Aburime, who told them that there service was no longer required, given the said proposed closure of their organisation by his principal.
The Governor’s Press Secretary, however, reportedly denied the allegation, saying that such thing did not happen, as he has not yet begun to drop any of the reporters.
