Bashir Opaluwa Idris
Kogi State Ministry of Information and Communication has appealed to the State Government to remove the State Broadcasting Corporation and the Graphics Newspaper from the Treasury Single Account (TSA).
The State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Kingsley Fanwo made the appeal in a message while defending the Ministry’s 2025 Budget before the House of Assembly in Lokoja.
Budget defence is a yearly ritual for Ministries, Departments and Agencies to appraise and defend their budget in the preceding and the up coming year respectively.
It is on this premise, Kogi State Ministry of Information and Communication which houses Kogi State Broadcasting Corporation and the Graphics Newspaper embarked on this exercise.
The Commissioner who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr. Ebenezer Adurodija emphasized the Ministry’s crucial role in disseminating information to the public and raising awareness about government policies and programs.
The Commissioner, while presenting an analysis of the 2024 budget before the House on Tuesday highlighted the challenges currently faced by the Ministry to include Equipment needs, Operational vehicles among others.
Fanwo appealed to the Lawmakers to help the Ministry in the implementation of the Enforcement of the circular directing all the Ministries, Department, Board, Commissions and Agencies to patronize the Printing Press on all the printing matters.
Responding, the Chairman, House Committee on Information and Communications, Prince Bode Ogunmola, said the budget defense was not to witch hunt any Ministry, hence the need for cooperation for a smooth process.
The Director-General, Kogi State Broadcasting Corporation, Princess Nana Hauwa Yusuff, Managing Director, Graphic Newspaper, Mr. Yusuf Itopa, Chairman of Kogi State Council of Nigeria Union of Journalist, Alhaji Ademu Saidu were among the entourage.
