Bassey Inyang in Calabar
President Bola Tinubu has reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to strengthening public communication, preserving institutional records and restoring public trust in government as Cross River State reactivated its moribund newspaper corporation and commissioned a new government printing press in Calabar.
Tinubu’s position was conveyed by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, at the official reactivation of the remodelled Cross River State Newspaper Corporation, now renamed the Cross River Information Hub, and the commissioning of the state’s new Government Printing Press at Barracks Road, Calabar, on Thursday.
Idris commended Governor Bassey Edet Otu for investing in the revival of the state-owned media institution, describing information infrastructure as an important component of development.
He said the transformation was about more than reopening a building, stressing that it represented an effort to restore an institution, preserve institutional memory and renew confidence in credible journalism and effective communication.
The minister said the newspaper corporation, established in the early 1970s, had played an important role in documenting the affairs of Cross River and its people through publications including the Nigerian Chronicle and Weekend Chronicle.
He noted that the information environment had changed dramatically, with news now travelling within seconds across newspapers, radio, television, websites and social media, while artificial intelligence was rapidly changing the production and distribution of content.
Despite these technological changes, Idris said, credibility remained indispensable.
“Technology may change the tools of journalism, but it cannot replace truth, accuracy, fairness and professional judgement,” he said.
The minister urged the Cross River Information Hub to become a centre for credible journalism, digital innovation, professional development and public engagement capable of telling the Cross River story to Nigeria and the world.
Governor Otu said the revival of the Nigerian Chronicle was in fulfilment of his administration’s commitment to ensuring the free flow of information between government and citizens.
He recalled that during his first media parley after assuming office, he promised to revitalise the state’s information assets.
According to him, the administration had already upgraded transmission equipment at the Cross River Broadcasting Corporation, CRBC, and renovated its office facilities.
He said the Nigerian Chronicle, which had remained moribund for about two decades, represented another crucial component of the state’s information infrastructure.
Otu said his administration had invested in state-of-the-art printing equipment and renovated the newspaper complex, which was damaged during the 2020 EndSARS protests.
He, however, challenged the newspaper’s management and staff to justify the investment through professionalism, hard work and protection of the facilities against vandalism.
The governor directed the editorial board to develop a Critical Response Initiative, CRI, to provide rapid responses to breaking news, misleading information and emergencies within and outside the state.
Former Cross River State governor and veteran journalist, Clement Ebri, described the occasion as deeply personal, recalling that his journalism career began at the Chronicle in August 1978 after his National Youth Service.
Ebri said he worked under renowned journalist Ray Ekpu and rose to become Features Editor and later Acting Editor in 1980.
He recalled that the newspaper once had a daily circulation of up to 120,000 copies and correspondents in major Nigerian cities.
“The Nigerian Chronicle of that era was not merely a newspaper. It was an institution,” Ebri said, describing its journalism as vibrant and intellectually strong.