By Florence Ugbem
The impasse surrounding who should be the Acting General Manager of Benue Printing and Publishing Corporation, BPPC, Publishers of The Voice Newspaper was resolved on Wednesday, as Mr Samuel Ioravaa Atachin took over leadership as the acting GM of the organisation.
This development followed the directive from the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr. Godwin Tighil via a letter directing the Maintenance Manager, Mr. Gabriel Agbo, who earlier received handover from the former General Manager, Mr. Ben Agande against the state government’s directive to handover to Mr. Atachin, who is the most senior journalist in the organisation.
The letter reads in part: “You will also be reminded that the Secretary to the State Government, SSG, visited your organisation and after interacting with the management and staff, it was generally agreed that BPPC being a professional agency, it will not be proper to hand over to a technical person but a professional person. Given the above, the SSG directed that the GM should hand over to Mr Samuel Atachin, who is the Assistant General Manager (Publication).
“It is rather very unfortunate that, instead of complying with the SSG’s directive which was the popular view of all the staff, the former GM handed over to you who is a maintenance officer.
“The Secretary to the Benue State Government is in view of the above, disappointed in the outgone General Manager, Mr. Ben Agande, who rudely disrespected his office and handed over to you (Gabriel Agbo) contrary to his directive.
“From the foregoing, you are by this letter directed to handover with immediate effect to Mr. Samuel Atachin, Assistant General Manager (Publication)”.
Mr. Agbo while handing over explained that he was complying with the directive from the Permanent Secretary.
