A lawmaker, who sponsored the bill, said the newspaper corporation has become moribund, economically unviable and no longer serves the purposes for which it was established.

The Anambra House of Assembly on Thursday repealed the Law establishing the state's Newspapers and Printing Corporation, publishers of the state-owned National Light Newspapers.

The house passed the bill repealing the Act during its plenary session through voice votes conducted by the Speaker, Somtochukwu Udeze.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the Majority Leader of the House, Ikenna Ofodeme, on 21 November, sponsored the bill calling for the repeal of the Anambra State Newspapers and Printing Corporation Law 1994.

According to him, the corporation has become moribund, economically unviable and no longer serves the purposes for which it was established.

The speaker said that Clause 2 of the newly passed bill states that "The Anambra State Newspapers and Printing Corporation Law 1994 is hereby repealed.

"The bill further stipulates the transitional provisions under which the Governor, at his discretion, may redeploy all the supporting staff of the corporation to Ministries, Departments and Agencies upon the commencement of this law.

"Pay compensation to all the staff of the former state corporation in view of their deployment and pay the staff their gratuities and pensions.

"The law may be cited as the Anambra State Newspapers and Printing Corporation Repeal Law 2023 and shall come into force on December 14," he said.

The speaker, therefore, directed the Acting Clerk of the house, Okechukwu Nwobi, to send the clean copy of the bill to the governor for his assent.

(NAN)