DIR Return Create A Forum - Home
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Poolforecast.createaforum.com
  HTML https://poolforecast.createaforum.com
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       *****************************************************
   DIR Return to: Politics
       *****************************************************
       #Post#: 69--------------------------------------------------
       NUJ QUERIES POOR STATE OF AKWA IBOM STATE GOVERNMENT-OWNED MEDIA
       HOUSES
   DIR By: wedco893
       Date: March 5, 2026, 10:42 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Dianime Uko
       The Nigeria Union of Journalists, Akwa Ibom State Council have
       expressed concerns over what they described as the poor state of
       government-owned media organisations in the state, particularly
       the Akwa Ibom Broadcasting Corporation (AKBC) and the Akwa Ibom
       Newspaper Corporation, publishers of Pioneer Newspaper.
       The concerns were brought to the fore during a joint meeting of
       the State Working Committee (SWC) and State Advisory Council
       (SAC) convened and presided over by the Chairman of the Union in
       the State Comrade Nsibiet John
       The meeting which was called to update members of SAC on the
       leadership strides of the present administration of the Union
       also reviewed the welfare, conditions of service, and general
       professional wellbeing of union members. It was noted that the
       condition of media Houses owned by the Akwa Ibom State
       Government are not only deeply deplorable, but highly
       unacceptable.
       The union identified four major issues besetting the effective
       functionality of AKBC and Pioneer Newspaper: lack of duly
       constituted Boards of Directors, inadequate funding, improper
       staff employment practices, and the absence of structured
       retraining programmes.
       A member of the Advisory Council lamented that the absence of
       Boards of Directors in both establishments has created a vacuum
       in governance and strategic oversight.
       “Without functional Boards, there is no clear policy direction,
       no structured accountability, and no long-term vision. This has
       significantly weakened institutional efficiency,” the member
       stated.
       The meeting further decried inadequate funding, which it noted
       has led to obsolete broadcast equipment, declining production
       quality, limited news coverage, and poor staff welfare.
       “AKBC and Pioneer Newspaper cannot compete in today’s dynamic
       media space when they lack modern equipment and sufficient
       operational funds. Underfunding has directly affected staff
       morale and productivity,” another Council member observed.
       On staffing, the union frowned at irregular employment practices
       and the failure to prioritize merit-based recruitment. According
       to participants, improper staff placement and skill gaps have
       reduced professionalism and operational effectiveness within the
       organisations.
       Equally troubling, the union said, is the lack of continuous
       retraining of journalists and technical personnel, especially in
       digital broadcasting, multimedia production, and modern
       publishing techniques.
       “If staff are not retrained to meet current technological
       demands, these media houses will continue to lose relevance and
       audience confidence,” a senior SAC member warned.
       To address the challenges, the NUJ proposed immediate solutions
       aimed at restoring efficiency and credibility to the state-owned
       media outfits. These include:
       - The urgent constitution of competent and independent Boards of
       Directors to provide policy direction and institutional
       oversight.
       - Improved and sustained statutory funding, alongside
       accountability mechanisms to ensure prudent financial
       management.
       - Transparent, merit-based recruitment processes to strengthen
       professionalism and bridge skill gaps.
       - Regular training and retraining programmes, including digital
       transformation initiatives to modernize operations.
       The union emphasized that implementing these measures will not
       only improve the welfare and working conditions of media
       professionals but also reposition AKBC and Pioneer Newspaper as
       vibrant, competitive, and sustainable public media institutions.
       The Union reaffirmed their commitment to constructive engagement
       with relevant authorities to ensure that urgent reforms are
       undertaken in the interest of media development and effective
       public information dissemination in Akwa Ibom State. The Union
       while acknowledging the State Government efforts at transforming
       AKBC into a digital broadcast media hub called for the training,
       retraining of members of staff so that when the Station is
       finally digitized, personnel will be able to meet up with the
       demands of modern day broadcasting.
       *****************************************************
       Page 1 of 1