The leadership of Rivers State Independent Publishers Association (RIVPA) has announced that it has delisted ten of its members for not publishing their various medium for a long time.
RIVPA notes that even when the association’s constitution expressly states that “any member who ceases to publish continuously for six months, automatically ceases to be a member of RIVPA”; the leadership through a motion of the General Assembly , extended the non publication period beyond the stipulated six month, regretting that some members could not meet up with the duty of publishing a copy of their publication per year.
The release attributed this to the economic recession, lack of seriousness on the part of the publishers and dwindling reading habits of Nigerians which has adversely affected sale of hard copies of their various tabloids and magazines.
The list of delisted members include chief Emmanuel Odungweru, publisher, Moonlight newspaper, Dr. Ralph John, Publisher , Service newspaper; Mrs. Florence Jose-Pere, publisher, the verite newspaper, Chief Samuel Adoki Ibisiki, publisher, Continental Eagles newspaper, and Prince Mike Iweazor, publisher, South-South voice. Others dismissed from the publishers body include Mr. Owuje Park Harry, publisher, Garden City newspaper, Mr. Nna Frank Jack, publisher, The reformer newspaper, Mrs. Sotonye Toby-Fulton, publisher, Gist news , Rev. Success Ekine, publisher , the New Scroll newspaper and Senibo E. S. Princewill, publisher, signal newspaper.
RIVPA however, stated that the members so delisted can re-apply for their membership when they have organized their media house(s) to be publishing regularly as stipulated by section XIX of the association’s constitution.
The decision to delist the ten media houses from the highly coveted list of RIVPA accredited publishers was taken in November, 2016 congress meeting. With this development, the total number of publishers constituting RIVPA as at November, 2016, is now reduced to 16. Six (6) new members were admitted, making the total listed members 22 in number.
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