By Nurat Uthman
The Abuja Newspaper Distributors Association (ANDA) has urged Senator George Akume, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, and President Tinubu to revoke the monetization policy introduced by the Obasanjo administration.
In a statement released on Sunday, the President of the association, Comr. Emmanuel Eche’Ofun John, congratulated Alh. Mohammed Idris, the publisher of Blueprint Newspaper, on his appointment as Minister of Information and National Orientation by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Eche’Ofun expressed gratitude to President Tinubu for appointing Alh. Idris and believed that his appointment would be beneficial for the print media industry, which is currently facing challenges due to the emergence of new media and certain government policies such as monetization.
Eche’Ofun emphasized the need for the new Minister to prioritize the cancellation of the monetization policy, which has negatively impacted the newspaper industry by diverting funds intended for newspapers and magazines in government offices for other purposes.
Eche’Ofun called on the Minister to communicate this to Senator George Akume and President Tinubu, who is also a publisher, and to make it mandatory for ministries, departments, and agencies to purchase newspapers and magazines daily for their top management staff.
He believed that government patronage, as stipulated in the annual appropriation act, would revive the struggling industry and have a positive impact on their members.
