THE Bauchi State government and other shareholders have initiated plans to revive the Bauchi Publishing and Printing Company Limited, publishers of The Trumpeter and Kakaki Newspapers, after two decades of inactivity.
The state commissioner for Information and Communications, Hon. Shehu Usman Shehu, who also serves as chairman of the Board of Directors of the company, announced this development during the company’s 5th Annual General Meeting held yesterday at its office in Bauchi.
According to Shehu, the board has recommended increasing the company’s share capital from N30 million to N250 million to support equipment refurbishment and working capital needs.
He further revealed that the management is in discussions for a N1 billion loan at a 9% interest rate to procure modern digital printing equipment capable of delivering high-quality print services to attract premium clients nationwide.
Shehu stated that the company intends to retain its former workforce while also recruiting new staff to enhance productivity.
He disclosed that by the end of this year, The Trumpeter, Kakaki, and other publications will resume production, including an online presence to keep pace with modern trends.
The board said, “The company is viable and has the potential to become a major source of revenue for its shareholders. The major challenge it faced was instability caused largely by governmental actions or inactions.”
While acknowledging that newspaper production is a social service, the board stressed the importance of having a state-owned newspaper to serve as a communication bridge between the government and the people.
“There is a strong need to raise awareness among the people of Bauchi and mobilise them toward full participation in government programmes. A state-owned newspaper is best positioned to serve that purpose,” he said.
He added that The Trumpeter would serve as a platform for projecting the views, achievements, and challenges of the people of Bauchi State to the broader public, both nationally and internationally.
“To support this initiative, the Board is requesting the Bauchi State Government to issue a standing directive mandating all ministries, departments, agencies (MDAs), and local governments to publish quarterly two-page progress reports in the papers at subsidised rates,” the board said.
The board also urged MDAs to subscribe to at least 15 copies each of the two newspapers weekly and to patronise the company’s commercial printing services.
Shehu explained that the publicity arrangement would greatly benefit the government by increasing public awareness of its policies and programmes through an authoritative and consistent platform.
This newspaper reports that as a result of the prolonged closure, four major shareholders, Gombe State Government, Fama Development Enterprises Nigeria Ltd, Satellite Engineering Services Nigeria Ltd, and Alauwara Nigeria Ltd, have sold their shares valued at N10 million.
Current shareholders include Alh. Yerima Giade, Alh. Barau Ningi, Alh. Ibrahim Marafa, Alh. Hammadu Abubakar, Mal. Sama’ila Diga, Mal. Sadik Awak, Alh. Babayo Dambam, Alh. Ali Gombe, Alh. Musa Liman, Alh. Ahmed Iliyasu, Alh. Yakubu I. Hamza, Alh. Sabo Abdulkadir, Media Need (Nig) Ltd, the Bauchi State Government, and 15 local government areas in the state.