By Ikpong Essien-Udom
Friday, April 11, 2025, was exactly 37 years since The Pioneer – Akwa Ibom State-owned newspaper – sponsored by the government, hit the newsstands. April 11, 1988, was a Monday.
The paper had, the previous evening (Sunday, April 10, at Qua River Hotel in Eket, about 10pm), been officially unveiled by Col.(now Senator) Tunde Ogbeha, then the Military Governor of Akwa Ibom State.
That was, perhaps (as far as I can remember), the first time in Nigeria that a newspaper would be launched in the night!
The Pioneer joined the array of state newspapers by the instrumentality of Mr. Moses Ekpo MFR, then the Commissioner of Information (actually the pioneer commissioner).
He had drafted the Late Prof. (then Mr) Etim Anim (Editor-In-Chief of the Cross River State-owned newspaper, The Nigerian Chronicle) and the Late Mr Okon William Akpan (Editor of one of the titles in the Chronicle family who later became a Permanent Secretary) from Calabar to Uyo to design, plan, publish and circulate a news tabloid for Akwa Ibom State.
As the two friends left Calabar, they took along the Late Mr. Gabriel Akpan – then one of the strongest and best hands (paste-up artists) in the Production Department of the Cross River State Newspaper Corporation.
And, towards the end of February 1988, Etop Williams, Ini Ite (now Ini Ubong), and I were invited to Uyo to meet the Commissioner as a prelude to our engagement as pioneer staff of the upcoming newspaper.
On March 1, 1988, the three of us and a fine, young, and intelligent writer, Anietie Ebong – now a High Court Judge in the Federal Capital Territory – became what I usually refer to as “the pioneers of The Pioneer.”
Before the launch date – April 11, 1988, we had produced a sample (dummy) of the proposed newspaper. It was printed in Owerri by Imo Newspapers Ltd – publishers of The Statesman where Gabriel Akpan had earlier gone to make arrangements.
On the 28th of March, I was assigned to lift reels of newsprint from the Nigerian Newsprint Manufacturing Company, NNMC, Oku Iboku, Itu – the then flourishing newsprint manufacturers in the country – to the premises of Imo Newspapers.
We left Oku Iboku at about 2.30 pm in a 16-tyre-long trailer (that was my first and last time to board that kind of vehicle) and managed to arrive in Owerri at about 1.00am. I was lucky that one of the production staffers at Imo newspapers (from the Bende area of then Imo State), who bore the surname of Udom, saw me as a brother, and so I slept in his house.
The days leading to April 11, 1988, and many months after, were very busy for me. Mr Anim, having known me as Managing Partner of a public relations and advertising outfit (Aresen & Partners) that used to do business with the Chronicle, he thrust many responsibilities on my shoulders.
As editorial staff, I was in charge of generating, editing, and sub-editing community news for Page 4 (Community News).
For the maiden copy, I was also in charge of scouting for and collecting adverts (mostly congratulatory messages) from companies, ministries, local governments, etc, for publication.
There was no cashier. It was, therefore, my duty to take the proceeds and pay to the Account Department of the Ministry of Information (then located on Uruan Street) every 4pm.
Wait for more. We were just nine staff (the Late Mrs. Alice Udoma and Idorenyin Umoren had joined before the launch date) – six in Editorial, two in Production, and one in Administration. There were no workers in Marketing and Works.
It was also my responsibility too, to join Gabriel Akpan every Sunday to Owerri to handle editorial aspects of the production. On the way back, we would sometimes drive to Port Harcourt to drop copies and drop some in Aba and Ikot Ekpene.
On return at about 3pm, I would move around to distribute to agents and vendors in Uyo and go to all the local government areas.
By Wednesday, each week, I would move around again to collect sales proceeds. In between, I would ensure that the air conditioners, the taps, the toilets, etc were functioning properly.
At the time I retired from Akwa Ibom Newspaper Corporation (incorporated in July 1988 as Akwa Ibom Newspapers Ltd), I had served as: Senior Reporter, Cashier, Page Editor, Sub Editor, Advert Canvasser, Circulation Officer, Production Editor, Staff Correspondent/City Editor, News Editor, Deputy Editor, Editor (Weekend), Editor (Daily), Ag General Manager, Editor-In-Chief.
Today, about 37 years after we birthed The Pioneer (which later gave birth to Weekend and Midweek editions in 1996 and 2000 respectively), some issues concerning Akwa Ibom Newspaper Corporation, AKNC, or The Pioneer as is commonly referred to by generality of its publics, truly baffle me.
One: In April 1989, at the inauguration of the first Board of Directors of the newspaper establishment, the then Military Governor of the State, Col. Godwin Abbe, directed the Board to ensure that The Pioneer became a daily publication “within one year.” Yet it was only in my time in September 2007, as the overall boss, that we made an attempt at carrying out a similar instruction. At my appointment as the Acting General Manager in August 2007, the Information Commissioner, Mr Census Ekpu, gave me one week to start a daily publication. Of course, I protested and requested for three weeks. He obliged. And so, for three days in September 2007 – Monday 17, Tuesday 18, and Wednesday 19 – The Pioneer was published, printed, and circulated daily. My editorial, production, marketing, administration and account staff, who had been highly motivated by having arrears of their different entitlements cleared, ensured that.
We virtually lived in Pioneer House. But we succeeded. I am surprised, but it really pains me that a newspaper sponsored by one of the richest states in the country, could exist for 37 years as a weekly. What is the problem? Is it funding? Is it management? Or is AKNC jinxed?
Two: When we started 37 years ago, there were no production equipments owned by AKNC. The first effort at typesetting/production was at a private printing outfit, Etofia Media Services located in Ibiam Street, Uyo. Not satisfied, we moved to now defunct Call Press Ltd in Calabar.
Soon, our search for ease of production took us to Standard Press Ltd in Aba. All of them for production while printing was done in Owerri. I remember one day in 1989, when, having been disappointed in Calabar and later Aba, the GM, Okon William Akpan, had to come down to Owerri with just Idorenyin Umoren and the materials. They arrived about 7.30pm. Luckily, we were able to locate a commercial outfit with an electric typewriter. Between that time and 7am, Idorenyin sacrificed his legs, standing to paste all the pages while I proof-read the entire newspaper. It was a special experience at that time. I have not forgotten. Neither has Idorenyin Umoren.
As the years went by, we shifted our printing to Sunray Press in Port Harcourt. From there to local printing presses in Uyo. This was up to, and beyond the military era.
However, early in 1991, during late then Group Capt Idongesit Nkanga’s tenure as the Military Governor, a contract was awarded to a Yoruba person for the supply of our rotary printing machines. It became a failed contract. No machines; millions of naira lost.
Enter Arc. (Obong) Victor Attah as the governor in1999. Soon another contract for the supply of another rotary printing equipment was awarded to another contractor, an Ibo. It was supplied, but it remained in the crates longer than necessary. Its subsequent installation and eventual usage offered us a relief with a stubborn headache: heavy wastages. Though better than nothing, it became handy during our attempt at daily production.
At the entry of Chief Godswill Akpabio as the Governor in 2007, my posting to the Ministry of information, and appointment of an external person as GM/Editor-In-Chief, the “bad” machine was discarded and the nightmare of printing in private establishments in Lagos, Port Harcourt and Uyo resumed. It is continuing. This was in spite of Governor Akpabio acquiring a state-of-the-arts printing machines with accompanying lithographic equipments for the newspaper corporation and constructing a new building to house it.
Till today, despite AKNC possessing such a machine and components, acquired at over N500m more than 11 years ago, The Pioneer titles are still being printed in private printing presses.
Again, I am surprised and pained, that 37 years after its birth/establishment, The Pioneer (Akwa Ibom Newspaper Corporation) cannot be a model despite being sponsored by a rich state like Akwa Ibom. So what is the problem? Is it management or funding? Or is AKNC jinxed?
Three: When in 1971, late Brig Gen. Udokagha Jacob Esuene, as the Military Governor of then South Eastern State (now Akwa Ibom and Cross River states), established the South Eastern State Newspaper Corporation (later Cross River State Newspaper Corporation) – publishers of the Chronicle titles, he dreamt big for it and went on to bring forth. It had a well designed office complex, a brand new rotary machine and accessories, well-stocked newsprint warehouse, spare parts that were not exhausted even after 30 years, etc. The complex was so designed that staff could move to any department without being affected by rain or sun. Very many good hands, who turned out to be sought-after professionals, were recruited for the Corporation and it made the Chronicle one of the newspapers with the largest circulation figure in the country.
It was well funded. It was well equipped with numerous vehicles for every department. Why could all these not be replicated in Akwa Ibom for AKNC?
But it is not late. With proper funding, management, vision and direction, the premises of The Pioneer – which today presents a picture of an abandoned or defunct ghost-infested house, could be turned into “the pride of the South-South.”
Four: At the beginning, The Pioneer started with a print run of about 50000 copies. We had sales points in all the local government areas in Akwa Ibom. We had offices/agents in Owerri, Aba, Port Harcourt, Enugu, Calabar, Benin, Lagos, Jos, Abuja, Kaduna, Ibadan, Asaba, and others.
As our circulation van left Owerri for Uyo, another would leave for Lagos and the other axis.
On Mondays, The Pioneer would be in Lagos early enough to meet Newspaper Review programme on Radio Nigeria.
It was the toast of state-owned newspapers in its early years. As a state owned newspaper, AKNC should have enough editorial staff to properly cover the State so that the newspaper could live its name -The Pioneer (pioneering community news reporting) and talk its motto – For Leadership and Service.
But sadly, the reverse appears to be the case.
Retired staff are not replaced; no circulation vans; no editorial vehicles. Each time I pass the gate of The Pioneer House, the place always looks like a deserted residence of an imprisoned rich man, awaiting his return. Today I hear the print run (circulation figure) has gone below 500, sometimes as low as 200 though I doubt. But one rarely finds The Pioneer on the newsstands. What is the problem: funding, management, or is AKNC jinx?
My plea to His Excellency Governor Umo Eno: I come to you with a broken heart. We, the pioneers of The Pioneer, had very high hopes.
In the mould of the over 7000-capacity conference centre initiated by Dr Godswill Akpabio in Ibom Tropicana complex which you are pursuing to complete; like the abandoned multi billion naira ICT complex initiated by Arc (Obong) Victor Attah on Uyo Village Road which you are looking at; like the unrecognised national paint leader, Peacock Paint in Etinan which your magic hands have touched, I plead with you, as one who had suffered untold hardships in the course of serving AKNC, to turn your ever penetrating eyes to the newspaper establishment with a view to making it live its dream. But please do not kill the dream by outsourcing any of its components. With proper management team, under a properly selected and constituted supervisor (Board), and with the right funding, interest and cooperation by you, The Pioneer CAN and SHOULD live again. Happy 37th anniversary, The Pioneer!
On this special occasion of writing this piece, let me pay tribute to some of those who joined to do the magic: Salute to His Excellency Mr Moses Ekpo, who saw the vision in a dream! Salute to Late Prof. Etim Anim, Late Okon William Akpan, and Late Gabriel Akpan, who toiled to bring forth the dream! Congratulations to Etop Williams, Ini Ite, Hon. Justice Anietie Ebong and I (the pioneers) who are alive to see the death of the dream! Let me specially salute Idorenyin Umoren (Eteutom, Idoti, etc) whose hard work and commitment to always get The Pioneer on the newsstands were unparalleled. Ossom Asaka, currently the Deputy Editor, is in that category: he behaved like AI to transcribe our Weekend Pioneer interviews and get them ready for publication, no matter the time we dropped the tapes.
To all those who worked either in AKNL or AKNC between April 1988 and September 2007 and beyond, dead or alive, including Deaconess Ekaete Ekpo – longest serving General Manager, Late Alice Udoma, Late John Oku, Mrs Helen Udofa, Late Ebenezer Udoeyop, Mr Anietie Usen, Elder Obiota Ekanem, Late Nnamnso Umoren, Marvelous-Friday Udo, Margaret Edem (now Permanent Secretary), Eno Udo, Sam Akpe, Udeme Nana, Mr Esen (the electrician), Pastor Henshaw Emah, Late Effiong Akpan (production manager), Patrick Essien, Ekikere Umoh, Late Patrick Udoka (Padoka), Ete Ekott, Victor Usimka, and others in the Production, Late Anietie Iyoho, Late Henshaw (of Adverts), Mr. Edet Mbaba, Late Effiong Odiong, Ndueheidem Eshiet, Late Margaret Umana, Late Maria Ekpu, Late Atim Sam, Grace Essien, Late Alice Uko Etim (the fast typist), Late Patience Edem, Mr. Asaka, etc, I doff my hat for them.
To the toiling, unsung workers who pray daily for a miracle, I encourage them to keep hope alive… because I have faith. With the Midas touch of His Excellency Governor Umo Eno and his unending drive to change the narrative in all sectors, I see a bright sparkling light at the end of this dark tunnel.
Once again, kudos to the Dream at 37!
Essien-Udom is a member of the Nigeria Guild of Editors, writes from Uyo.