Community Newspaper Proprietors in Kogi State have called on the Federal Government to look into the escalating cost of printing materials.
The Proprietors under the aegis of the Federated Chapel of the Kogi State NUJ, in a statement issued after their monthly meeting in Lokoja, signed by Abu Micheal, Chairman and Gideon Ayodele, Secretary, said while the reading culture of Nigerians in reading newspapers is fast dropping and becoming worrisome, the high cost of printing materials, which would in turn lead to increase in Newspapers, would further add to reasons why most Nigerians would not buy and read Newspapers.
The Chapel, appealed for efforts from the government that will encourage the local production of printing materials, also called for waiver on imported printing materials.
The statement described community newspapers, publishers of grassroots newspapers, as the bastion of information dissemination in a democracy, called for policies that would stem the rising cost of printing materials.
The Chapel also congratulated the Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, on the attainment of a hundred days in office, however lamented the high rate of insecurity, especially the increased rate of kidnapping witnessed in the state.
The Chapel called on the state governor to work in partnership with the relevant security agencies in curbing crime and criminalities in the state.
The statement frowned at the epileptic power supply situation in the state, called on the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, to up their game, as the hardship presently faced by citizens of the state owing to poor power supply, is becoming unbearable.
The Chapel commended members of the public for their patronage of community newspapers, disclosing that despite the challenge facing the sector, efforts to publish regularly, would be sustained, and at affordable prices.
