Bayelsa: Media workers protest planned takeover of office complex

Several workers at media outfits owned by the Bayelsa State Government are protesting against the plan by the Ministry of Information, Orientation and Strategy to move into the Ernest Ikoli Media Complex in Yenagoa, the state capital.

They complained that the edifice was built by Governor Douye Diri for the three state-owned media houses namely, the State Broadcasting Corporation, operators of Glory FM97.1 (popularly called Radio Bayelsa); the State Newspaper Corporation, publishers of New Waves; and the Niger Delta Television.

They cautioned that the situation could result in a face-off if the ministry insisted on pushing its plot through.

The magnificent building was inaugurated by a former national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Iyorchia Ayu, on the invitation of Diri as a part of activities to celebrate the second anniversary of his administration in February 2022.

The media complex, with 430 offices, 107 restrooms, two restaurants and other facilities, is named after one of Nigeria’s foremost nationalists and first editor of Daily Times newspaper, Ernest Ikoli, from Bayelsa.

Some of the media outfits’ workers, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were afraid of victimisation, argued that the ministry was not supposed to be accommodated in the media complex going by the governor’s pronouncement.

Efforts to get the reaction of the Commissioner for Information, Orientation and Strategy, Ayibaina Duba, did not yield any positive result as he did not answer calls placed to his phone as of the time of filing this report. Punch