Contract for the procurement of a Community Goss Graphics Press for the Akwa Ibom Newspaper Corporation publishers of the Pioneer Newspapers has been signed between the Akwa Ibom Government and the manufacturing company from the United Kingdom and Germany.
The Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Mr Aniekan Umanah alongside the State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Chief Assam Assam endorsed the transaction on behalf of the state government with Mr Fred Partimore signing for Goss Graphics System of the United Kingdom and Mr Jakob Berger appended his signature for Heidelberg Germany, respectively.
The Commissioner for Information and Communication, Mr Aniekan Umanah thanked Governor Godswill Akpabio for keeping his promise and approving of the contract which he noted means that the dark days of the Akwa Ibom Newspaper Corporation (AKNC) is now over.
Umanah noted that the contract signing agreement being perfected between the state government and the manufacturing companies from the United Kingdom and Germany means that the management and staff of the Pioneer Newspaper were witnessing bright new days.
The printing machines, Umanah said are to be delivered with complete pre-press backed up with colour separation and would open an avenue for AKNC management to be printing for other newspapers outfits within and outside Akwa Ibom on commercial basis.
“This effort of government will serve the newspaper company the cost of printing outside, and will also ensure a wider reach and an improvement in quality and aesthetics.” He said.
“Government believes this investment will jumpstart training for Akwa Ibom people in sophisticated printing technology, as well as serve the local media industry and commercial interest.”
Others who witnessed the contract signing were Mr Emman Asanga the Permanent Secretary in the state Ministry of Information, Mr. Udo Silas the general manager of the Akwa Ibom Newspapers Corporation(AKNC) Mr Nsikak Essien a former Chairman of AKNC, and Mr Patrick Usen.
Inspecting the facilities at the Pioneer House along Information Drive after the contract signing agreement was effected, Mr Umanah said that the production staff of the Pioneer Newspaper are to be trained on the operation of the new Goss Community Press that will soon arrive.
Umanah explained that the printing machines when delivered would ensure the printing of several thousands of newspapers copies at the shortest time.
Responding, Mr Fred Pattimore of Goss and Graphics System, United Kingdom assured that his company will ensure delivery of the State of the Arts Printing Press in September this year.
It will be recalled that the State Executive Council had recently in its weekly meetings approved the purchase of a Goss Community Printing Press for the Pioneer Newspaper at the cost of N431,796,681.00. The equipment comprises the main Goss Web Machine, computer to press supra setter.
The decision of government to purchase these machines was to put an end to the lingering problems faced by the state-owned newspaper, The Pioneer, and will lead to a transition to a daily production.
The General Manager and Editor-in-Chief of the AKNC, Mr Udo Silas who conducted the August visitor round, expressed appreciation for being part of the historic making occasion of contract signing agreement for the procurement of the new press.
Silas expressed his heartfelt appreciation to Governor Godswill Akpabio for ensuring the realization of the dream of providing the AKNC with the state of the arts printing press for Pioneer Newspaper to venture into daily print runs.
He therefore pledged the resolve of the management and staff of the AKNC to work assiduously towards projecting the corporate image of the government and people of Akwa Ibom to the outside in the process of publishing Pioneer Newspapers.