The Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria (NPAN) on Tuesday elected new executive officers to pilot its affairs.
The election which produced Mallam Kabiru A. Yusuf, Chairman, Trust Medis Limited, publishers of Daily Trust Newspaper as President, held during the association’s annual general meeting.
Other elected officials are as follows: Deputy President Lady Maiden Ibru, Chairman Guardian Press Limited,
Secretary Mohammed Idris, Chairman Blueprint Newspapers, Mr. Wale Edun, Chairman The Nations Press Limited as treasurer
Nwaduito Iheakanwa, Publicity Secretary, MD Champion newspapers
Fidelis Anosike, Assistant General Secretary, Chairman Daily Times of Nigeria
Ray Ekpu, Ex-Officio member,
Sam Nda-Isaiah, Ex-Officio,
Dennis Sami, Ex-Officio
A statement signed by the newly elected president and secretary, Kabiru Yusuf and Mohammed Idris respectively, said the immediate past president of the association, Mr. Nduka Obaigbena joins Sam Amuka and Segun Osoba as Patron.
The statement noted that at the meeting, members of NPAN deliberated on the State of the media, Nation and the economy, and resolved as follows:
That as the media is evolving because of digital intrusion, the Association may need to at the Executive Council take another look at the situation and respond as appropriate.
It reflects vigorously on the absence of paper culture on the newspaper industry in particular and the Nigerian economy in general.
It urges the federal government to make a conscious effort to revive the newsprint factories in Nigeria towards improving the health of the newspaper business and paper industry.
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In the interim, the government should take the newspaper business as educational venture and grant zero tariff on paper to promote education and Constitutional and civic duty of the media at holding the government accountable to the people.
That the NPAN views seriously the steady encroachment on freedom of the press and free speech, especially by state actors and urge resistance through all legitimate means to any infringement on press freedom and free speech. Likewise, the NPAN holds that the right to protest is a fundamental human right that must be guaranteed by the Nigerian state in such a way as to stave off violence.
That the NPAN in particular, pays deserving attention to media education in Nigeria and support the Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ) to achieve the stated objective for its establishment, including an upgrade to a degree awarding media training institution in the future.
That the Federal Government rise up to its responsibilities of protecting of life and property by stamping out terrorism, banditry, kidnapping .
That the Federal Government revs its response to the COVID-19 pandemic by making aggressive effort to procure the vaccines from whatever sources as may be available and vaccinate our citizens against the deadly disease.
Among those present at the meeting were Mr. Sam Amuka, Chairman Vanguard newspapers and Patron, Aremo Olusegun Osoba, former Governor of Ogun state, Patron and Chairman Governing Council of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ), Ogba; Mr. Ray Ekpu, former President of the NPAN.
