AN OPEN LETTER TO GOVERNOR DAUDA LAWAL: THE URGENT NEED TO HALT THE AUCTION AND REVIVE ZAMFARA’S MULTI-MILLION NAIRA MEDIA ASSETS

Governor Dauda Lawal

Why Legacy Newspaper and Zamfara Radio Urgently Need Your Intervention_

Your Excellency,

I write to you with a deep sense of patriotism, professional responsibility, and a shared vision for the total transformation of Zamfara State. Since your assumption of office, your administration’s unalloyed commitment to redefining governance and elevating our dear state to global standards has been both evident and inspiring.

In particular, the media community remains profoundly grateful for your unprecedented, media-friendly disposition. The construction of the ultra-modern Secretariat Complex for the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Zamfara State Council, alongside your continuous support for media practitioners, stands as a glowing testament to your belief in the press as a critical partner in progress. 

It is on the strength of this commendable partnership that I respectfully bring to your attention a matter of urgent strategic importance: the revival of the state-owned Legacy Newspaper Company and Zamfara Radio.

As communications scholar Wilbur Schramm famously observed, "The media are the great multipliers of development." 

In the modern era of governance, state-owned media enterprises are not mere administrative attachments; they are the ultimate tools for projecting government policies, promoting peace, defending territorial integrity against negative narratives, and bridging the gap between the leadership and the populace.

Your Excellency, a critical look at the current state of the Legacy Newspaper reveals a profound economic and administrative irony that your "Rescue Mission" is uniquely positioned to correct. 

In 2007, the administration of former Governor Mamuda Aliyu Shinkafi made a visionary investment of over One Hundred Million Naira (N100,000,000.00) to procure state-of-the-art printing equipment directly from China. At that time, this infrastructure was the second-best in the entire African continent, surpassed only by a similar setup in Kenya. 

It included heavy-duty printers, Mikano generators, and advanced laying machines designed to meet global standards with a operational lifespan of over 20 years. This includes adequate papers and others consumables.

Regrettably, these invaluable assets, which can hardly be replaced today given current economic realities, were recently undervalued and auctioned off for less than Ten Million Naira (N10,000,000.00). 

However, a window of opportunity remains. My findings indicate that a significant portion of this machinery is still within the newspaper premises awaiting evacuation. There is an urgent need for your administration to review this auction process and halt further evacuation.

These machines possess the versatile capacity to print newspapers, textbooks, billboards, posters, and secure administrative documents. By halting the evacuation and reviving this facility, Zamfara State can establish a highly secure Government Printing Press. This would eliminate the outsourcing of confidential state documents, keeping critical data safe while generating substantial internal revenue.

Furthermore, the human capital already exists and is waiting to be utilized. When these machines were procured, over 100 dedicated staff were recruited. Today, the Legacy Newspaper has a workforce of over 120 permanent staff and 20 casual staff who possess the professional curiosity and dedication to work, but are unfortunately forced into redundancy. 

This is a team that previously elevated the publication to national recognition, frequently earning reviews on the NTA "Morning Show" due to its rich content and an expansive network of reporters across 16 northern states. 

Today, the premises lack even a single employed security guard and are being used as farmland, while the paper’s online presence has stalled due to funding gaps, a stark contrast to independent publishers who maintain continuous online operations on minimal budgets.

A parallel challenge exists at Zamfara Radio. Your Excellency recently demonstrated immense foresight by investing significant resources to train radio staff at the prestigious National Broadband Academy in Lagos. Combined with their decades of field experience, these personnel are highly capable. Yet, the AM station, which historically broadcasted across Zamfara, neighboring states, and into parts of the Niger Republic, remains silence as it can't even cover the state capital with its broadcast.

Your Excellency, your administration reportedly continues to meet the monthly allocation requirements for these media houses. For this expenditure to yield maximum impact for the state and its populace, these platforms must be fully operational.

If the Legacy Newspaper Company and Zamfara Radio are systematically revived under your leadership, they will easily transition into self-sustaining, revenue-generating entities. By establishing a framework where state Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) provide monthly retainerships for their printing and publicity needs, these media houses will flourish. 

More importantly, they will serve as your administration's loudest voice, propagating your policies, counteracting negative propaganda, promoting peace, and showcasing Zamfara’s immense economic potential to global investors.

I most respectfully urge Your Excellency to extend your transformative touch to these institutions. Review the asset auction, restore the pride of our state media, and weaponize information communication for the overall development of Zamfara State.

Thank you for your continuous service, vision, and dedication to our people.

Yours Faithfully,

Abdulrazak Bello Kaura, ANIPR

(Development Journalist)

Zonal Secretary, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Zone A, Northwest 

abdulkaura21@gmail.com