NPAN returns Obaigbena as president

Fifteen months after he was first elected President of the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria, the Chairman/Editor-in-Chief of THISDAY Newspapers, Nduka Obaigbena, was on Thursday returned to office for another two-year tenure.

In a statement issued by NPAN by its Executive Secretary, Feyi Smith, the body said the election, which was held after its Annual General Meeting, represented a major shift in the political structure of NPAN, as other officials also retained their positions.

The statement read in part: “The election which was unanimously supported, climaxed activities marking the 2014 Annual General Meeting of the association, the opening formalities of which drew strategic players in the nation’s industries, banking and marketing communications, among others.

“Others returned were the Deputy President of NPAN and Chairman of Media Trust, Mallam Kabir Yusuf; the General Secretary and Publisher of the Source magazine, Ms. Comfort Obi; the Treasurer and Publisher of the Guardian Newspapers, Mrs. Maiden Ibru; and the Publicity Secretary and Publisher of Business Day Newspapers, Mr Frank Aigbogun.

“Others were past President and Ex-Officio, Mr Ray Ekpu; Mrs Nwadiuto Iheakanwa, Group Managing Director of Champion Newspapers (Ex-Officio); Mr. Wale Aboderin, the Chairman of Punch newspapers (Ex-Officio) and the two life patrons of the association who also serve as ex-officio members – Publisher of Vanguard newspapers, Mr. Sam Amuka, and Mallam Ismaila Isa.

“Mr. Mohammed Idris, Publisher of Blue Print newspapers, will step into the shoes of Mr. Sam Nda-Isaiah, Chairman of Leadership Group, as assistant general secretary, as soon as the later completes his disengagement formalities from the Executive Council as a result of his desire to run for the presidency of the country.

“Publisher of The Sun and New Telegraph newspapers, Chief Orji Kalu, who is also former governor of Abia State, had moved the motion and he was seconded by Mr. Sam Amuka.

“Isa was later to explain that the executive was begged to continue in office as a result of its progressive achievements and vision for the industry.

“Mr. Obaigbena had reiterated his earlier resolve to step aside, adding that given the current development and the confidence reposed in his team, he would accept the new challenge.

“Earlier, the Chief Executive and Managing Director of Access Bank Plc, Mr. Herbert Wigwe, had commended the press for the confidence and support it has in the Nigerian Business sector and most especially in his bank.

“He said while only few believed in the vision of the bank when it re-engineered in 2002, the press showed considerable confidence in the organisation.

“He said by 2017, the bank would be a key global player and urged the press to continue to support their enterprise.”

Before the election, Obaigbena, in his welcome address, chronicled a few notable media events that had happened in the past two years, including the unprovoked seizure of some newspapers by some agents of the federal government; the detention of some journalists who are being accused of sedition; the influx of new media companies in the country; and the passage of the Freedom of Information Act, among others.

Deploring the seizure of newspapers as undemocratic, Obaigbena said NPAN has started to “engage” the federal government on the issue, but where the issue of engagement does not work, NPAN would have no choice but to “disengage”, adding that it is another way of “saying that the association may use other avenues available to it, apart from dialogue, to press its case”.

Also speaking at the AGM, the National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, pledged that the Osun State governorship election holding on Saturday would be better than that of Ekiti State.

Jega, who was the guest speaker at the event, urged NPAN to ensure objective media reporting of the election in order to promote impartial reportage.

While promising a free and fair election as well as addressing security challenges that might arise, Jega urged NPAN to ensure objective media reporting in order to promote impartial reporting.

He said: “For the forthcoming Osun election, I assure you that we are committed that it will be better than the Ekiti election, which many testified was free and fair.

“But I implore you to lend your support in enlightening the electorate because voter education is important and it will help our voters to be informed of their rights.

“We in the INEC have been doing our best to improve our engagements with major stakeholders in Nigeria leading to the 2015 general election. And no doubt, the NPAN is a major and formidable partner and stakeholder in the business of electoral reform or in the business of deepening democracy in our country.

“I want to commend you for the very good and positive things that you have done in educating and enlightening Nigerians in providing news and analysis which no doubt are beneficial, as ingredients or elements of progress and development in our country.

“Your investments may be private investments but they also have tremendous public utility; it is therefore important, in my view, that proprietors of newspapers and indeed any other newspaper must balance the private interest with public good.

“I know that and I have no doubt that many of you are doing very well in that regard and indeed your investments and personal sacrifices in contributing to the success and development in our country. But there are trends and tendencies.”

Jega said INEC would use card readers for the 2015 general election, adding: “We even want to use the technology finder in the general election in 2015 to ensure that the cards we are going to use will be valid. This way, we will be sure that the card bearer is the card owner.”

The AGM was attended by a network of media executives and owners, as well as representatives of advertising agencies and para-media organisations.

ThisDay.