By Grace Orok
The Cross River State government says it has commenced the installation of the long awaited digital printing press it procured.
The government spokesperson and Commissioner for Information and orientation, Rosemary Archibong disclosed this in an interview with CrossRiverWatch also said the information ministry is working hard to procure satellite equipment for the state owned Cross River Broadcasting Corporation.
“The hall has been completed and work is ongoing to ensure that the printer is installed,” she said adding that; “the ministry is also working hard to get the new CRBC satellite equipment in order to get good production, transmission and good pictures to go as far as Obanliku and Obudu.”
Archibong also reviewed the activities of the current administration covered by the ministry which include effective information dissemination on projects such as the Thai Africa Rice city project, the Cross River Garment Factory, the housing scheme for the less privilege and the Bakassi returnees and several other projects initiated by the state government which she said would give rise to job employment.
“The Calabar Pharmaceutical company is being built and we have private individuals who would be working with us for the production of certain medications. This is an opportunity for industrialization and employment”, she enunciated.
On Education, she said the sector is receiving adequate attention as a partnership with the Canadian government has birthed a technical junior secondary school to be sited in Obudu.
She said public institutions in Okuku, Yala local government area and Itigidi, Abi local government area and the Institute of Technology and Management in Ugep is also integrated with the partnership, in order to enhance skilled education.
“The state in the last NECO exams, became one amongst other states who topped the ladder as opposed to time past. Again, a pioneer private university owned by an indigene, has already started functioning, meanwhile 400 schools have been marked out for renovation.
“This answers the question as to why our commissioner for education is being referred to as ‘the commissioner for quality education’ by the state governor; Senator Professor Ben Ayade”, Archibong said.
Furthermore, she said the Governor’s initiative on tourism had brought the miss Africa pageantry which aims at building ambassadors to reach out to African leaders to lead well, and with ‘Immigration’ proposed as the theme for the 2017 carnival, Cross River will lead the call for Africans, who in search of greener pastures are suffering oversees.
“He (Governor Ben Ayade) wants to use the carnival as a contact point to deliberate with African leaders on how to create a better Africa for the satisfaction of its citizens. Meanwhile, the theme of last year’s carnival which was ‘climate change’, encourages afforestation, for effective mitigation of the harsh weather condition” she said.
Also, Archibong disclosed that the ministry works hand in hand with the regulatory body of the media in for supervisory purposes and commended the competition in the media sector brought about by the establishment of by private media houses.