Information Commissioner Commends AKNC For Maintenance Of Critical Govt Facilities

… Announces Govt’s Plans To Flag Off Ultra Modern AKBC Building, Reposition AKNC
UYO
The State commissioner for information has commended management and staff of Akwa Ibom Newspaper Corporation (AKNC), publishers of The Pioneer Group of Newspapers, for taking good care of some of the facilities, especially the brand new 500KVA generating set and some other equipment at the Corporation’s headquarters complex.
  Mr. Aniekan Umanah made the commendation when he visited the Corporation, Friday, as part of his familiarisation tour of Akwa Ibom State Government-owned media establishments, which also took him to the Akwa Ibom Broadcasting Corporation (AKBC), Uyo.
Umanah, who was accompanied during the tour,by the permanent secretary in the Ministry, Akparawa James Edet, as well as some directors, expressed his commitment to enhancing the performance and efficiency of the two media outlets, adding that government has taken note of the level of dilapidation at the two media outfits.
   He said, “We have reviewed the reports and also isolated some of the issues, the current situation and the challenges that we have as a Corporation. We have also noted the solutions that have been provided, by the grace of God. We will work together, going by the directives and the policy direction of His Excellency the governor to see what problems can be solved to reposition this place”.
Advising them to take their jobs seriously, the commissioner emphasised the need for staff of the newspaper house to sharpen their skills, leverage the new media by establishing online presence, churning out news contents daily on the digital space for a wider global audience.
He also highlighted the need for the media establishment to think outside the box to enhance profitability, saying, “Newspapering and publishing have gone beyond basic just printing, these days. It has gone digital.That is the biggest platform on earth. You must go in that direction or you go extinct. Printing, today, is important because it’s just a format that you can feel and hold. But it is not the only format because by simply holding this tool in your hands you can do just about anything you want to do.”
  Umanah challenged the general manager of the Newspaper house, “to motivate your people to give their best with the hope that things will change for good. His Excellency is someone who loves good things, who loves to see things work, who loves to see people work, who loves creative ideas.”
Earlier, the general manager of Akwa Ibom Newspaper Corporation (AKNC), Mr. Umoette Umoette, who led other management staff of the corporation to welcome the commissioner and his entourage to The Pioneer House, congratulated him on his appointment and lauded him for the facility tour.
Umoette highlighted some challenges the newspaper establishment was facing, and expressed the hope that with the information commissioner’s visit, the government would address the challenges facing the media outfit.
  The commissioner and his team were conducted round round various facilities at theState Newspaper complex, such as the Goss Community press,Cord Printing press, Library, power house, computer and lithographic sections and the Newsroom, by the general manager, Mr. Umoette Umoette and other management staff of the Corporation.
At the transmitting station of the Akwa Ibom Broadcasting Corporation, AKBC, at Ntak Inyang, the commissioner revealed that a new broadcast environment for the AKBC was in the pipeline, and  announced further that in no distant time the governor would perform the ground breaking for a befitting office complex – Smart AKBC building – to be equipped with brand new studio for both the Television and Radio Services of AKBC near the ARISE Park in Uyo.
He reaffirmed Governor Umo Eno’s commitment to repositioning the Akwa Ibom Broadcasting Corporation (AKBC) and Pioneer Newspapers for optimum output.
The information commissioner further explained that the smart AKBC building was one of the several projects of the governor lined up for flag off before the end of May this year and announced that the governor has approved the extension of the tenure of the acting director general of the AKBC, Mrs. Imaobong Udo, by one year.
Umanah, who promised to brief the governor on the level of dilapidation of facilities at the AKBC, said plans were underway to give the AKBC a new face.
The commissioner and his team were conducted round facilities at the station by the acting director general, Mrs. Imaobong Udo and some management and technical staff of the broadcast Corporation.
The acting director general, Udo, flanked by management team of the AKBChad appreciated the commissioner for the visit and briefed him on the State of facilities at the Ntak Inyang transmitting station.