The Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Comrade Ini Ememobong has tasked members of the Association of Professional Printers, Akwa Ibom State ( APPA ) to push back quackery and restore professionalism among its members.
The Commissioner gave the charged today, Thursday, when members of the Association paid him a courtesy call in his office in Uyo, the state Capital.
The state Spokesman observed that the activities of quacks and unqualified persons constitute some of the serious threats facing printing businesses in the information management subsector. He however, enjoined members of APPA to ensure that necessary regulations were put in place in order to enforce product standardization.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Mr. Inyang Jameson, Comrade Ememobong said ” As a professional group, you must engage in standardization procedures that would make it very difficult for quackery to thrive in your profession or takeover your jobs ” .
” You must endeavor to make nonmembers uncomfortable through the entrenchment of professionalism, because printing is a very sensitive business that should not be left in the hands of untrained persons ” .
” For every time you allow an unqualified persons to produce poor quality jobs for public consumption, it becomes a dent on your image. Therefore you must do all that is within your powers to stop quackery within your profession. You must also uphold professional ethics if you must enjoy government or other serious corporate patronage ” . Ememobong hinted.
Responding through an address presented by the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Association, Prince Andy Bernard. The group said that the visit was aimed at fostering partnership with the Ministry and the State Government in order to bring to the knowledge of the later the need to do printing business with professional bodies such as APPA , thus curtailing leakage of sensitive documents and also address other serious anomalies.
” We wish to use this forum to request for government patronage, and by extension, seek the patronage of the ministry of Information and other Miniseries ” .
” In the Spirit of the Dakkada Initiative of His Excellency, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, Professional Printers in Akwa Ibom are ready to work with the State Government and its citizens in order to move the state to greatness as conceptualized by the Governor ” .
” As a Professional body, it is on record that the printing subsector of the economy provides about thirty five percent ( 35 % ) labour force to the state through training and employment of youths in our various organizations ” .
” As a Professional Association, we also appeal to the State Government to extend helping hands to professional printers by way of awarding inter – ministerial direct labour contracts to the Association, and also the printing of Local Government Revenue Earnings documents ” . The Association solicited.
The APPA delegation on the visit was led by its State Chairman, Chief Michael Archibong, and accompanied by the State Secretary, Comrade Samuel Edward and other executive members.