No more Anambra Newspaper, The National Light, Lawmakers hit final nail
Media watch
At last , the Anambra State House of Assembly on Thursday repealed the law establishing the state’s Newspapers and Printing Corporation, publishers of the state-owned National Light Newspapers.
The House passed the bill during the plenary session through a voice vote conducted by the Speaker, Dr Somtochukwu Udeze.
Recall that the Majority Leader of the House, Mr Ikenna Ofodeme on November 21, sponsored and presented a Bill to repeal the Anambra State Newspapers and Printing Corporation Corporation 1994 and to provide for related matters.
According to him the corporation has become moribund, economically unviable and no longer fit for purpose.
The Speaker said that the Clause 2 of the newly passed Bill states that, “The Anambra State Newspapers and Printing Corporation Law 1994 is repealed.
“The bill further stipulates the transitional provisions under which the Governor, at his discretion, may redeploy all the supporting staff of the corporation to Ministries, departments and agencies upon the commencement of this law.
“Pay compensation to all the staff of the former state corporation in view of their deployment and pay the staff their gratuities and pensions.
” The law may be cited as the Anambra State Newspapers and Printing Corporation Repeal Law 2023 and shall come into force on the December 14, 2023,” he said.
Udeze, therefore, asked the Acting Clerk of the House, Mr Okechukwu Nwobi, to send the clean copy of the bill to the Governor for his assent.
The Law establishing the Anambra State Newspapers and Printing Corporation came into existence in 1994; and with this development, the state-owned newspapers and printing corporation will no longer exist.
Recalled that the state governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo had some months back shut down the establishment for poor economic viability.
About 200 workers of the corporation were pencilled for sacking before intercessions came, resulting in their redeployment to ministries, agencies and departments.
