…Pledges N36m,
…Backs First Lady’s Food Bank Initiative
By Abasi Ita
The Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, ALGON, Cross River State chapter, Hon. Yibala Inyang, has commended Governor Bassey Otu for revamping the Cross River State Newspaper Corporation, describing the intervention as a timely lifeline for the Nigerian Chronicle.
Inyang spoke in Calabar yesterday during the commissioning of the remodelled corporation, where he said the intervention would reposition the Chronicle as a stronger platform for public information, enlightenment and civic engagement.
He described the newspaper as an enduring institutional heritage of Cross River State, stressing that its revival was crucial to preserving the state’s history and strengthening communication between government and citizens.
“On behalf of the council chairmen, we want to express our appreciation to our governor for revamping this institutional heritage. It would have been a misnomer for this historic legacy to fizzle out under our watch,” Inyang said.
He urged the management and staff of the Chronicle to justify the government’s investment by upholding professionalism, objectivity and ethical standards in their journalism.
“I want to charge the journalists in the Chronicle to justify this monumental investment by the present administration by ensuring that professionalism and objectivity remain the guiding principles of the newspaper,” he said.
Inyang also announced a N36 million donation to the newspaper and called on the 18 local government councils, businesses and other stakeholders to support its sustainability through patronage and other legitimate means.
He said the intervention went beyond investment in a media organisation, describing it as a commitment to public information and the preservation of an institution that had served generations of Cross Riverians.
The ALGON chairman also commended the First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, CON, for commissioning the South South National Community Food Bank Project in Calabar.
He described the initiative as a compassionate and timely response to the economic difficulties confronting vulnerable families, noting that access to food was critical to improving the welfare of disadvantaged Nigerians.
“At a time of economic challenges, providing access to food for disadvantaged families is a timely and commendable intervention,” he said.
Inyang expressed appreciation to the First Lady for extending the programme to Cross River State and pledged ALGON’s support and cooperation to ensure that the initiative achieves its objectives and reaches its intended beneficiaries, particularly at the grassroots.