The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has expressed dismay over the level of decay of infrastructure and moribund machineries in the Federal Government Press, Lagos.
Mohammed, who paid a working visit to the establishment on Monday, said its depressing state was a consequence of many years of corruption, maladministration and impunity.
He said the press, established 103 years ago, did not reflect in capacity, environment and infrastructure what a properly maintained and managed government asset should be.
Mohammed said the press, which was established for the purpose of production of government printed materials as well as commercial printing, had become a shadow of itself.
Mohammed said: “It is my belief that what we are witnessing today is as a result of many years of corruption, neglect and impunity.
“While I was going round for inspection, one thing came to mind that what we are suffering today was because those who were at the helm of affairs sometimes ago were not patriotic.
“They ordered and accepted substandard equipment and machineries even when the government paid for brand new ones.
“The consequence is what we are all suffering today.”
The minister, however, said hope was not lost because the administration would ensure a resuscitation of the establishment.
He noted: “As depressing as the visit might be in terms of absence of infrastructure and obsolete equipment, the good news is that it gives us the impetus to seek for a new and improved government printing press.
“We will look beyond a quick fix and ensure a root and branch restructuring, re-organisation and rebuilding of this place.
“Therefore, I have asked the Government Printer to bring to me a comprehensive proposal to achieve this but this is not a project that will be done in a very short time.
“While we are waiting for that, we will do everything possible to at least
maintain skeletal services here to ensure that workers come to work and are kept busy.”
The minister urged the workers to reciprocate government’s gesture by being good and patriotic citizens.
He advised the workers to be law abiding and to also embrace the new government re-orientation campaign of “Change Begins with Me’’.
The Federal Government Printer, Tommy Ittu, who conducted the minister round the departments in the press, said the agency was poorly funded and lacking modern machineries.
Ittu said that it was over 20 years that machines were last purchased for the press, adding that the machines were not new and could not be put to use.
Some of the members of staff, who spoke during an interactive session with the minister, complained of lack of potable water, toilet facilities and non-payment of their allowances.
The roofs of almost all the buildings in the premises were leaking, while the surrounding was overgrown with weeds.
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