News Room Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang has significantly expanded his communications team by appointing 204 media aides. As announced by spokesperson Gyang Bere, these new hires will focus on raising public awareness and disseminating information about the governor’s policies.
The appointments, effective immediately, include 40 Principal Special Assistants, 53 Senior Special Assistants, and 111 Special Assistants.
Notably, the team includes experienced journalists like Marie-Therese Peter Nanlong, a state correspondent for Vanguard Newspaper, and Dorcas Pankyes, a correspondent with Nigeria Standard Newspapers.
Since he assumed office, Mutfwang has patronised the Plateau state National Union of Journalists (NUJ) for various media-related roles. For instance, Bere, his current spokesperson, previously served as the Chairman of the NUJ’s Correspondent Chapel in the state and was a correspondent for the Sun Newspaper.
A few days ago, the union published a birthday greeting to Mutfwang, congratulating him on his “remarkable achievement in infrastructural development”. When Bere was appointed, Paul Jatau, the state NUJ chairman said: “Journalists had always clamour for appointment of professionals into the right positions for the overall development of the state. To start on the right note, we are optimistic that you will continue on the same path by appointing core professionals in the remaining positions particularly as it relates to the media profession for the overall interest of the state.”
However, these appointments have drawn criticism. Public commentators express concern about the potential impact of accountability journalism in the state. Additionally, the high number of aides follows a similar trend in Kano where Governor Abba Yusuf appointed 138 media aides late last year.
