Why we give out Nigerian Observer to new management – Edo govt

By Jethro Ibileke

The Edo state government over the weekend explained why it decided to give out the running of the Nigerian Observer Newspaper out to a new management.

The State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, who disclosed this to journalists during a media briefing to give weekly update of the state government activities, said the decision was in order to make the state-owned organisation competitive with other private media outfits in the country.

The newspaper company was established 55 years ago, during the military administration of the late Brigadier-General Samuel Ogbemudia.

Nehikhare however noted that after its establishment, successive administrations bore the burden of its challenges, including the payment of staff salaries.

According to him, “Observer is one of the flagship newspapers in the country. It was established over 55 years ago. It was a very important news carrying medium. But over the years its fortune unfortunately dipped.

“Government in and government out has been carrying the burden of the newspaper company even though it was not meeting up with its publication target but the salary of all the staff were paid to date as well as allowances.”

While reiterating that the ownership of the establishment is still 100 percent that of the state government, the Commissioner added that the state may divest itself from the ownership of the company in the future.

He said one of the major thing the state government did as part of revitalizing the newspaper company was the building of a new, ultramodern printing press, which he noted will be one of the best and most sophisticated in the country today.

He added that while the revitalization and the ultramodern building of the company was taking place, government decided to bring in a strong management team to build it, revitalize it and to maintain the brand.

“The government has invested heavily to make Observer a competitive newspaper like Vanguard, ThisDay, Guardian and others. If these newspapers in the hand of private individual make money, pay staff salaries and make returns to the owners, then Observer should be able to do the same thing. It is an investment, a business, and it should be run as a business.

“The company is owned 100 percent by the state government and I believe that as time goes on, it will divest itself from the ownership. Every new business has a time for gestation. So, Observer newspaper now is a new business.

“It has to create a market and once it creates that market, the government will divest from it.

“Edo people should know that, the Nigerian Observer is our brand and we are very proud of it. This government has not change its name and has no plan to change it because we recognized it as a sellable and marketable brand,” he added.

Nehikhare also disclosed that next Monday, 24,2022, the new board of the organization will be unveiled, and a week later the online version will begin while before the end of next month the hardcopy of the newspaper will be on the news stand.

He opined that the new Nigerian Observer newspaper will be such that will challenge the most widely read newspapers in the country at the moment.

Photo:
Chris Nehikhare