Anambra state government-owned newspaper company set to shut down, leaving 200 staff members at risk of losing jobs
Governor Chukwuma Soludo has reportedly decided to shut down the Anambra State government-owned National Light Newspaper publishing company, leaving about 200 staff members at risk of losing their jobs.
During the last meeting of the State Executive Council (SEC) at the Government House, Awka, Soludo informed members that the newspaper company was not adding any value to the government and the economy of the state, and therefore, it must be scrapped.
The workers, who include journalists, accountants, printers, security staff members, cleaners, and others, are expected to be affected.
Reacting to the news, the chairman of the state chapter of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Comrade Emeka Odogwu Emeka, and the commissioner for information, Chief Paul Nwosu, condemned the plan to close down the newspaper company and sack the workers.
However, they stated that the plan to shut down the company and sack the workers had not been carried out. Emeka Odogwu pleaded with the governor not to close down the newspaper company, stating that such an action would render the workers unemployed and bring economic hardship to hundreds of their dependents.
The NUJ boss suggested that the workers of the newspaper company be redeployed to the state ministries where their services would be needed as an alternative to shutting down the company.
According to reports, the state newspaper company has its staff members, particularly journalists, working as correspondents/reporters in many other states across the country, particularly in the South East zone and Abuja, the nation’s capital.
It was learned that the National Light Newspaper reporter attached to the governor’s press crew had already been dropped from the press crew. As of the time of this report, the issue of National Light is still being considered by the Anambra State Executive Council (ANSEC), and a firm decision is expected to be made public soon.