NUJ heaps praises in Ayade for promotion of members
Emmanuel Alfred
The Cross River State Governor, His Excellency, Sen Prof Ben Ayade has received encomiums for elevating members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Cross River State Council to the position of Permanent Secretary.
This was according to the Council Chairman, Comrade Nsa Gill at the reception in honour of the newly sworn-in Permanent Secretaries, held at the Ernest Etim Bassey Press Centre, Calabar.
Mr Gill said that the body has been lucky to have her members rise to the pinnacle of technocracy in the State under the Ayade-led administration.
He recounted that it all began with the appointments of Mrs Mary Akpet, and later Dr Aye Henshaw and Sir Denis Utang, highlighting further that the twilight of the present administration has brought even greater attention to the pen profession through the appointment of a journalist, first of its kind, as Head of Service of the State and presently another unprecedented number of four as Permanent Secretaries.
Congratulating the newly inaugurated technocrats on their deserved elevation, the Chairman prayed for rewarding experiences and impactful contributions in their new positions.
In his remarks, one of the brand new Permanent Secretaries, Mr Emmanuel Akpong thanked God for the privilege of being elevated to the echelons of the Service in the State.
Mr Akpong, who until his elevation, was the General Manager of the Cross River State Newspaper Corporation, prayed for the recognition of hard work and merit of every civil servant who is contributing to the betterment of the Service and State at large.
Another recipient of the promotion, Mr Sam Egbala, expressed gratitude to God for his elevation, dedicating it to the journalism profession, which, according to him, has remained the tipping point of his service to the State and Nation.
“I feel really good to know that God has rewarded me today for my hard work. These appointments are also a clear picture that there is still room for merit, hard work and hope for the journalism profession and practitioners, especially those in the civil service of the State.
Journalism is a cross-cutting discipline that empowers practitioners to know almost everything. It is very fitting for the governor to elevate me and my colleagues in recognition of our contributions to the State,” Egbala added.
Mr Egbala, a former Editor-in-Chief of the State-owned Nigerian Chronicle Newspaper, assured that himself and his journalist colleagues would make meaningful contributions that will have a direct bearing on NUJ, especially members in the Service and the overall betterment of the State.
Mr Emmanuel Akpong, Mr Sam Egbala, Mrs Eme Affiah and Mr. Ben Tawo Olom are the four journalists among the 44 Permanent Secretaries inaugurated by Ayade yesterday in Calabar.
