The Chairman of Trust Media Limited, publishers of Daily Trust, Mallam Kabiru A.Yusuf has been elected as the new President of very influential media body, the Newspaper Prorietors’ Association of Nigeria, NPAN, on Tuesday.
A statement signed by Yusuf and Alhaji Mohammed Idris, Chairman, Blueprint Newspapers who was also elected Secretary, said NPAN held its annual general meetings on Tuesday , December 8, 2020, at its new secretariat in Lagos during which it elected its new executive.
The full list of those elected includes: President, Mallam Kabiru A. Yusuf, Chairman Trust Media Limited;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 and Fidelis Anosike, Assistant General Secretary, Chairman Daily Times of Nigeria.
The statement named Ray Ekpu,Sam Nda-Isaiah, and Dennis Sami as Ex-Officio members
Prince Nduka Obaigbena joins Sam Amuka and Segun Osoba as Patron,
According to the statement, those in attendance at the AGM 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, amongst others.
“Thereafter, the association deliberated on the State of the media, Nation and the economy, and made several resolutions.
First, “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.
Furthermore, NPAN reflected vigorously on the absence of paper culture on the newspaper industry in particular and the Nigerian economy in general .
It urged 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.
In the interim, NPAN said, 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.
The statement said “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.
It urged the Federal Government to “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.”
