ANPC marks end of year

. Rewards outstanding staff

By Blessing Nnabuife

It was a day of  rejuvenation and inspiration as staffers of Anambra Newspapers and Printing Corporation( ANPC), publishers of National Light, Ka O Di Taa and SportlightXTRA  Newspapers, Awka , Wednesday, held their 2020 End of Year Meet,   which featured choral performances  by Liturgical Choristers International, from Enugu, and The Voice Choral Group from Awka, rendition of poems and songs.

The event, which commenced with a Thanksgiving Mass also featured recognitions and presentation of awards to outstanding workers, which had Mr Justin Chukwuemeka winning the Staff of the Year Award, with Miss Uche Okani being the first runner up.

In a sermon during the Mass, Parish  Priest of St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, GRA, Awka, Francis Oranye admonished the workers and all Christains to always prepare the soul as they prepare the body for the Yuletide.

Rev Fr. Oranye urged the organisation to  always put God first , communicare truth, unity, love and peace to the people.

 "Christ is coming to give us peace. Be encouraged and  live Christ like life."

Speaking at the event,  the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, ANPC, Sir Chuka Nnabuife, noted that the corporation has not relented in coordinating and putting in their best to qualify as one of the best newspapers of the year. 

"We got four awards this year for our COVID-19 edition and  our aptitude in our duties as print media journalists. This was in a year we have predominant lockdown. We were publishing weekly ,every Thursday but with the emergenc of COVID-19 pandemic, we turned into daily publications - COVID-19

special daily editions and have not stopped for one day.

"The challenges of the pandemic were huge but it turned out to bring the best in us. My  staffs here have  tripled their productivity.

"This year, I had three books and no one of them is less than 800 pages. My staff had two, and also one of  my staffs edited the only COVID-19 poem.

" We were coming to the office everyday and there is  no case of COVID-19 here in a workforce of over a hundred; so we are thanking God for that.

 "ANPC is the first organisation that started making hand washing  mandatory without the federal government or any establishment declaring that as mandatory. National light has grown in leaps and bounds within 2020."

The chairman of the occasion,Doctor Paul  Ifeanyi, Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Anambra State Council, Sir Emma Ifesinachi and his Secretary, Emma Udeagha, in their separate remarks, expressed gratitude to God for life and  commended the management and staff of ANPC  for living up to their calling, particularly this challenging period of COVID-19 pandemic. 

The best staff of the year, Justin Chukwuemeka said: "Honestly,  I never expected to be an award winner in such a competitive organisation and straight from my heart, I am extremely honored and earnestly grateful for the recognition, I am very sure that every other nominee for this award was as capable, if not more, of winning this award. I have faced several challenges on my way here, but each one of them has only strengthened me to make me the person I am today. 

"Winning this award would not have been possible without the inspiration I have received from my MD/CEO, Sir Chuka Nnabuife, whom I would alway be grateful to  for the pressure and lessons he thought me too: and also, my Editor, Mrs Rose Oranye, my seniors and my colleagues, for whom I have the deepest respect for and from whom I have derived the strength to challenge myself and perform better at each stage.

" I sincerely thank everyone for helping me reach a stage where I can proudly hold up this award as a mark of my achievement. I also promise to only get better at my work so that you can see me here for more  awards."

Others who won awards  as best staff of their various departments are Cosmos Ezeilo of  Engineering Department, Ekene Chukwudi Ewe, Admin, Ruth Orji, MD's Office and Uju Nwanna, Production Department.