30 ad-hoc workers also approved to launch Government Printing Press
In a fresh push to strengthen state institutions, Governor Bassey Edet Otu has approved 25 new staff appointments for the Cross River State Newspaper Corporation, publisher of the Nigerian Chronicle and Weekend Chronicle.
The news was shared in Calabar by the Commissioner for Information, Dr. Erasmus Ekpang, who tied the decision to the recent renovation of the Corporation’s headquarters — buildings originally put up in 1971. He clarified that recruitment would go through the Cross River State Civil Service Commission, the only body authorized to handle employment into the state’s civil and public service, and noted that the Corporation presently gets by with fewer than ten workers.
According to Dr. Ekpang, the facility upgrade is more than a physical makeover; it signals a renewed chapter for the state-owned media house as it works to promote Cross River’s heritage and maintain credibility as a public information source. He praised the Governor’s people-centered leadership style and said the new recruits would give a much-needed lift to the Corporation’s publishing arm.
The Commissioner also confirmed that 30 ad-hoc staff have been cleared to begin operations at the Corporation’s newly installed Government Printing Press, which is set to open and be commissioned in the near future. He explained that the press is expected to boost efficiency, expand production, generate revenue for the state, and keep publications running on schedule. The ad-hoc team will run the press for an initial three months, with the Governor free to consider converting their roles to permanent positions afterward.
Media and communications stakeholders have welcomed the announcement, calling it a meaningful step toward rebuilding confidence in public institutions. Many see it as consistent with the administration’s track record across infrastructure, education, and healthcare — sectors that have all received similar attention under Otu’s leadership.
With new staff preparing to resume duty and the printing press nearing commissioning, the Cross River State Newspaper Corporation looks set to reassert itself as a credible voice in Nigeria’s media landscape, reinforcing the Governor’s promise that development will reach every corner of the state.
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