Zamfara workers cry foul over N7m auction of N100m printing equipment

Staff of the Zamfara State Publishing Company, publishers of The Legacy and Suda newspapers, Tuesday, raised the alarm over what they described as the secretive auction of the company’s entire printing equipment.

They said the move has grounded operations and thrown the fate of more than 150 workers into uncertainty.

The workers, who spoke to Blueprint on condition of anonymity, alleged that the management sold off the equipment without following due process.

The workers said the machines were procured in 2008 during the administration of former Governor Mahmud Aliyu Shinkafi at a cost of over N100 million to support the printing of the two state owned newspapers.

“The equipment was bought for over N100 million by the Shinkafi administration to enable the company print The Legacy and Suda newspapers here in Gusau.

“To our surprise, the current management auctioned all of it for just N7 million,” one of the staff also said.

He added that the sale has effectively shut down the printing press, leaving the company unable to produce its newspapers.

With operations halted, the workers said they have been left in limbo.

“The company has over 150 staff and right now, nobody knows our fate because of the stoppage,” another staff member said.

They workers expressed frustration that the decision was taken without consultation with staff or relevant stakeholders, and without transparency on how the auction was conducted and who the buyers were.

The workers are appealing to Zamfara state governor, Dauda Lawal, to step in and save the company from collapse.