RIVPA Inducts The Newswriter Publisher, 3 Others
The Rivers State Independent Publishers Association (RIVPA) had on the 4th of October, 2012, at the Ministry of Justice Conference Hall welcomed publishers of The Newswriter, Mr. Kenneth Amabipi, Continental Eagle, Alabo Sam Adoki Ibisiki, The Peoples Herald, Adukuma Abraham Esq. and the South South Voice, Mr. Mike Iwezor into its fold.
The event was attended by prominent personalities including Prince Tonye Princewill, who was the Chairman.
He assured his support for the media and urged them to carry out their duties effectively.
Prncewill who is well known for his generosity aptly demonstrated it during the event.
He was accompanied by his chief Media Consultant, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze.
Nna Frank Jack who Secretary of RIVPA who represented the chairman of the association who was unavoidably absent, urged the inductees to keep up with the tenets of the profession and contribute meaningfully to the fold.
Also present was the chairman of the Elders Forum of RIVPA, Isikima Harry who also gave words of advice to the inductees and other members of RIVPA.
Our correspondent who covered the induction exercise reported that the inductees were full of smiles.
First to speak was Alabo Sam Adoki Ibisiki, Publisher of The Continental Eagle, “I am the happiest person on earth today because I am being recognized as a publisher. I resolve to live by the pen without fear or favour from any quarters, I have been publishing since I ventured into publishing for the public. I will always be friendly with the government in line with the ethics in publishing, to ensure coming out regularly.”
Advising the government to support independent publishers in the state, he said the government should create the enabling environment for publishers to contribute their social quota in fairness to truth to the society.
For the publisher of the Peoples Herald, Abraham Adukuma, “I’m very happy that today I am a member of “RIVPA” in line with the tradition of publishing.”
He pledged to keep to the tenets of the trade, to be fair in maintaining the truth, as to develop the character of the readers, set agenda for the government so that the government could deliver on all that it has planned for the people and also to encourage the government and society to do what is right.
Concerning coming out regularly, he disclosed that he has the capacity to be in the publishing market regularly, despite the odds.
He said the media has a non-negotiable right to draw the attention of government on what is going wrong, as a member of RIVPA, stressing that the government is there to deliver to the People what is good, hence he will draw the attention of the government to what it ought to do.
Advising the government, the publisher said the government should provide the enabling environment to independent publishers to do that which they ought to do, pointing out that he is not asking of money so as not to be bought over. But where government feels that he is doing well he could be supported, but not the one that he will be in payroll of the government to be caged, agreeing with government always whether government is wrong or right.
On his part, Mr. Kenneth Amabipi, publisher of The Newswriter, started by saying that he was so excited being admitted into the RIVPA family.
Reacting to the issue of some publishers publishing this week and waiting for another one month before coming out again, he said that is not publishing, advising that “if you are a publisher, stress yourself a bit and not that you will have advert before coming out with a publication, adding that a publisher is the mouth piece of the people.
He said since he ventured into publishing The Newswriter newspaper, he has not missed one week as he comes out regularly.
He advised publishers to maintain their coming out days and to be regular with their publications to gain credibility from the massive readers.
Giving reasons for his paper coming out regularly, he said it was sheer determination as he scarcely gets adverts.
On his advice to the government, he said government should also consider the local papers while sharing of their adverts to national papers.
He opined that if some of the publishers in the state are encouraged with adverts by the government, some of the independent newspapers could also go national.
He frowned at the habit of the state government giving adverts to few selected papers, in most cases papers that are not even from the state, while neglecting papers that are from the state.
The chairman of NUJ Rivers State Council, Opaka Dokubo used the occasion to advise the independent publishers and the newly inducted members to live up to their responsibility of maintaining their coming out days so as to be counted as publishers of courage and determination. The chairman of Rivers Civil Service Commission. Sir, Ngo Martins-Yellowe also toed the line of Opaka.
The publisher of South-South Voice, Mr. Iwezor had left the scene as at the time of collating this report. ###
Allanso Jonathan Allanso