The Cross River State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Pastor Ene Cobham, has directed the immediate correction of identified defects at the State Newspaper Corporation premises, warning that no payment would be made to the contractor until the outstanding faults are properly addressed.
Cobham gave the directive on Friday during an inspection tour of key facilities under the Ministry of Information and Orientation, accompanied by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry.
The inspection covered the State Newspaper Corporation premises, which houses The Nigerian Chronicle, State Printing Press and offices of other government agencies, as well as the Ministry of Information and Orientation Complex and Voice of Nigeria (VON) facility in Marian.
The Commissioner was received at the newspaper corporation by the Editor of Nigerian Chronicle, Comrade Oka Ibor, who represented the General Manager, Ms Keyu Edet, while Idep Egor received him at the Government Printing Press section of the corporation.
The facility comprises the Government Printer’s Office, Store, Printing Section, Binding Section, Estimating Section, Deputy Government Printer’s Office, Accounts and Administration Section, Graphics Section, Computer Section, Archives and Reception.
The Commissioner inspected the equipment available in the various sections, including two cutting machines, a MOZ machine, numbering machine and laminating machine in the Printing Section.
The Binding Section is equipped with a perforating/calendar machine, perfect binding machine and cutting machine, among others, while the Computer Section has chairs, laptops, a photocopier and direct-image machine. The Graphics Section also houses a 10-foot large-format printer, alongside tables and chairs.
At The Nigerian Chronicle, Cobham inspected the newsroom, editing suite and other sections of the building, expressing dissatisfaction with some aspects of the construction work and identifying a number of defects requiring attention.
“All identified faults and observations must be properly corrected before the project can be considered satisfactory. No payment will be made to the contractor until the necessary corrections have been carried out and all identified defects addressed,” Cobham said.
The Commissioner subsequently visited the Ministry of Information and Orientation Complex in Marian, including the Voice of Nigeria facility, where he was conducted round by the Bureau Officer of the Ministry, Eme Offiong.
The tour covered the Technical Unit of the Ministry and other sections of the complex, as well as the residential accommodation provided by the Ministry for some staff at the rear of the premises.
The inspection, according to the Commissioner, was part of efforts to obtain a first-hand assessment of the Ministry’s facilities, equipment and operational requirements, with a view to strengthening their functionality and ensuring that government investments in the information sector deliver the desired value.
By Daniel Nsa
