I’m prepared to privatise state-owned media, says Obaseki‎

Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State has said that he was prepared to privatise the state-owned Nigerian Observer Newspaper and Edo Broadcasting Service (EBS).

He said the media outfits have become liabilities to the government as they are not self-sustaining.

The State Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Edo State, Sir Roland Osakwe, had urged the governor to reconsider the plan.

Obaseki stated this at the annual public lecture series organised by the Correspondents’ Chapel, Edo State council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists.

The lecture was titled: “New Opportunities and New Initiative for Development”.

According to the governor, anything worth doing is worth doing well because government has no business in some of these business.

“They (Media outfits) have to compete and run like some of these private media houses.

“If they cannot run themselves, I have no option because I cannot take money meant for the renovation of primary schools and other infrastructure to service them.

“Bendel Brewery has about N2bn debt, Bendel Insurance and Edo Line are no longer sustainable,” he said.

And in a related development, Governor Obaseki has decried what he termed as outrageous staff strength of the state Assembly.

He disclosed that the Assembly which is made up of 24-member legislators has a support staff of 724.

“The ratio is just too much. The problem is not the lack of resources, but inefficient system where we waste what we have.

“Thank God we have reached an understanding with the House leadership,” the governor said.

He however explained that the excess workers will not be disengaged, but redeployed to other government ministries where they will be useful.