COMMUNIQUE ISSUED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS OF NIGERIA

COMMUNIQUE ISSUED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS OF NIGERIA (ACNPN), DELTA STATE CHAPTER, AND OTHER INDEPENDENT PUBLISHERS AND WRITERS AT THE END OF A TWO-DAY COMMUNITY MEDIA WORKSHOP, 2021, ORGANIZED BY THE OFFICES OF THE SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE GOVERNOR ON COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS, ON WEDNESDAY, 8^TH AND THURSDAY, 9^TH DECEMBER, 2021.

The two-day training workshop held at the Hotel Benizia, Asaba, Delta State had the Honourable Commissioner for Information, Mr. Charles Aniagwu who flagged off the programme in attendance. The Honourable Commissioner for Science and Technology, Mrs. Adasen Jennifer, the Manager Communication, Pastor Jackson Ekwugum and other aides of His Excellency were also in attendance. A total of three high profile resource persons – Prof. Ben U. Nwanne, Dr. Oji Majority and Mr. Pius Mordi did justice to various sub-topics arising from the theme of the workshop “Community Newspapers as Nexus for Democratic Development in Nigeria”.

The following are the resolutions reached by the participants at the workshop:

1. The publishers appreciated the Governor of Delta State, His Excellency, Sen. Dr. Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa for his impeccable policy on training for which the publishers of community newspapers under the aegis of Association of Community Newspaper Publishers of Nigeria (ACNPN) and others, had benefitted severally since the inception of the Okowa led administration, including the current training.
2. The publishers also commended the Governor immensely for the giant strides his administration has recorded in the areas of infrastructure, human capital development, social amenities and especially, the recently commissioned Prof. Chike Edozien Secretariat. They equally commended him for bringing out the territorial beauty of the city of Asaba through the proactive and firm execution of the Stronger Delta Agenda by the Delta State Capital Territory Development Agency.
3. Participants commended the media managers of Okowa Government, especially the Commissioner for Information, Mr. Charles Ehiedu Aniagwu, Manager Communication, Pst. Jackson Ekwugum, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Olisa Ifeajika and the Offices of the Special Assistants to the Governor on Community Newspapers, Mr. Jonathan Onwuka and Prince Joseph Oromonokpaye and; restated their unalloyed commitment to sustaining the already established relationship in order to access more of the knowledge-based trainings of the present state government.
4. Participants equally appealed for more of government patronages in terms of advertisement to individual community newspapers and other forms of grants to enhance their capacity for consistent publishing and maintenance of their office structures.
5. The participants underscored the need for community relations and good neighborliness between various organs of the communities and the community newspapers covering such areas.
6. The publishers condemned the publication of fake news and misinformation of any guise, admonishing members indulging in such tendencies to desist from them.
7. Participants called on the security agencies to at all times ensure the security of lives and properties of media executives and practitioners in the state. They called for an increase in partnership, mutual synergy and a symbiotic relationship between media persons and security agents in the state.
8. The publishers expressed deep concern at non-compliance to house-style and layout format of planning a newspaper and, urged publishers to adhere to proper and simple usage of language of communication and techniques by engaging the assistance of professionals in specific areas of a publication to achieve quality output.
9. Participants, therefore, lauded the Special Assistants to the Governor on Community Newspapers, Mr. Jonathan Onwuka and Prince Joseph Oromonokpaye for their ingenuity at seeking beneficial knowledge-based trainings for publishers, thereby appealing to Government for more funding to capacitate the offices towards proper grassroots information management.
10. The participants, in a nutshell, called on the Governor of Delta State, Sen. Ifeanyi Okowa to bring his political prowess to bear on the national political space by spearheading the mobilization of Nigerians towards enthroning the people-oriented democratic government in 2023.

SIGNED

1. Ms. Mercy Akugba

Secretary, ACNPN

(Publisher, Crusaders Voice Newspaper)

2. Mr. Femi Odonmeta

Independent Publisher

(Warri Voice Newspaper)

3. Mr. Nnamdi Odiwe

Treasurer, ACNPN

(Publisher, Asaba Quays Magazine)

4. Comr. Patrick Ochei

Chairman, Communiqué Drafting Committee

(Publisher, Anioma Trust Newspaper)