Four reputable firms are bidding to procure, supply and install rotary machine at the Rivers State Newspaper Corporation, publishers of The Tide newspapers.

The affected companies vying for the job when the bid opened last Friday at the boardroom of RSNC were Voith (Nig) Limited, Chuduank Ltd, Image and Media Limited and Flavours Limited.

Addressing the bidders and management of the corporation during the bid opening ceremony, State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs Ibim Semenitari said that the state government was committed to reviving media houses in the state to enable them compete favourably with their counterparts across the country.

The commissioner who was represented by the Director of Publication and one time state chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Mr Paulinus Nsirim, said the new move was a fulfilment of Governor Chibuike Amaechi’s commitment to reposition the media houses, describing Amaechi as media-friendly.

He assured that the rotary machine would be procured, but called for high level of professionalism and commitment amongst the staff so that the editorial content of the newspaper would start speaking to the public as a reputable newspaper house.

He commended the bidders for the interest shown, and said that only the best qualified rotary machine was ideal for The Tide. He also urged the eventual winner of the bid to ensure that the machine works efficiently when installed in order to serve the desired purpose.

In his address at the ceremony, the General Manager of Rivers State Newspaper Corporation, Mr Celestine Ogolo, noted that a newspaper outfit without a rotary machine was like a begger on the street. It can hardly have enough to sustain itself.

He noted that the rotary machine was the main hold, and the key to the successful rebranding and repositioning of The Tide group of newspapers, for not just increased circulation and visibility, but also smart quality prints, editorial content, market segmentation reach and fiscal viability. He stressed that the bid’s opening event “marked another turning point in our desire to create a new image for The Tide which began in the late 1990s.”

Mr Ogolo explained that with the acquisition of a new state-of-the-art rotary machine, The Tide would restart its journey to penetrate and capture the newspaper market, not only in Rivers State but the entire Niger Delta region and beyond. He stressed that The Tide would begin to come out early, the print run and circulation would astronomically increase and the readership would be improved.

The General Manager assured that with the Rotary machine The Tide would not only become relevant again to Rivers people but that the Rivers project would be vigorously presented.

In his vote of thanks, the corporation’s Director of Administration, Mr Alfred Nworgu thanked the bidders and assured them that the procurement committee will follow due process in selecting the winner.

Jacob Obinna