Ambassador P. C. Enebuse, Chairman and CEO of Glory of All Investment Limited and Success Without Rivals, publishers of The Grassroots Trumpet Newspapers
Ambassador Precious Enebuse, is the CEO of The Trumpet Media Group, in this interview with Barth Ozah, he speaks on the tenth anniversary of his publication and other sundry issues.
Can you briefly introduce yourself, tell us where you are from, your background?
I am Ambassador P. C. Enebuse from Utagba-Uno in Ndokwa West LGA of Delta State. I am the Chairman and CEO of Glory of All Investment Limited and Success Without Rivals, publishers of The Grassroots Trumpet Newspapers, Abuja National Update and a soft sell magazine – Elite Delight. I am the immediate past State Chairman of all community newspapers association in Delta State. I was the Special Adviser to the Executive Chairman of DBIR on Media and Publicity from 2015 to May 2019 that is throughout Governor Ifeanyi Okowa’s first term in office. Presently, I am the President of APPMEN.
Tell us why you venture into newspaper publishing?
Well, I will say that I ventured into newspaper publishing for two reasons: To serve as a voice to my people and correct the imbalance in my area. To act as a catalyst to government and other critical stakeholders in the Nigerian project to adequately and effectively address the challenges affecting the people at the grassroots having noticed the total neglect and under reportage of their plights in the national media. Talking about the near absence of basic amenities that makes life worth living in the rural areas – bad roads, no electricity, no good healthcare facilities, poor quality education, no pipe borne water or borehole and above all, the outright refusal of government to formulate or implement policies and programs at the grassroots especially the Ndokwa Federal Constituency of Delta State that housed the largest gas plant in West Africa yet the people still lives in total darkness, no Federal presence except police and armies of occupation which they use to dehumanize our people. And all these is not given prominence by the national media to attract government attention. So, my primary aim of venturing into newspaper publishing therefore is to provide an avenue for a better understanding of the peculiar role and relevance of the people at the grassroots since everyone cannot live in the urban areas at the same time as we expose readers to a better understanding of the desires and aspirations of the people at the grassroots, addressing development challenges in the rural areas through the promotion of economic, political, social and cultural activities of our people in a simplified journalism.
Your publication Grassroots Trumpet is ten years on the newsstand, can you tell us the challenges and the successes?
First and foremost, I want to thank the almighty God for making us first among our equals and also for giving us the grace to excel in business despite daunting challenges that made it look almost impossible at the initial stage. Though, we are not there yet, but we shall get there. Again, I want to say that our success in the last ten years have been guided by two key principles of Strategic Thinking and Financial Integrity. In other words, we think ahead and plan well in all that we do to satisfy our clients. The reason is because we have heard cases where some illegitimate media owners go about collecting money from the unsuspecting public either for advert or other publications and fail to deliver. We are a different people. We have remained consistent for the past one decade with quality products rich in content and design and have never for any reason whatsoever disappointed our clients. For the past ten years, no one has ever regretted transacting business with me or my companies simply because we are ready and understands the rules of business. We bit all deadlines and deliver jobs according to specifications and date. So, the qualities of our jobs and services speak volume of who we are and a trial will convince anyone of our claims. Secondly, I will say no challenges, no success. So, there have been tremendous challenges ranging from poor reading culture and low buying power to economic recession, Boko Haram menace, flood disaster and indeed finance. But the greatest of it all is funding and you know that no business thrive or succeed without finance. There have been instances when one feels like closing shop but passion for the job and commitment to the service of our fatherland would rather make one to inject more funds to remain in business. All the same, we are waxing stronger by the day.
Can you encourage your son to go into publishing?
Yes and No! Yes in the sense that if I see him develop interest in what I am doing. No, if he chooses another trade. However, I will encourage and support him to succeed in whatever trade he has flair for. He will remain my son and still be part of my business.
What can the government do to encourage publishing industry?
The government will do well to create atmosphere of friendship for businesses to thrive through its policies as well as design a Special Economic Empowerment Programme to support us like GEJ did to the movie industry. I strongly believe that this will go a long way to ameliorating the suffering of private media proprietors face in trying to get loan from the commercial banks. In doing this also, the government would have assisted us to boosting our businesses just as we are already assisting government to create jobs for our teeming unemployed youths.
Imagine a situation whereby all the proprietors of private media establishments in Nigeria close shop, how would the government cater for them and their employees. So, the government should as a matter of urgency see this as a point of duty to empower us to boost our businesses and in turn sustain our contributions to nation building and development.
In next ten years’ time, what are your projections regarding your publication?
As for me, I don’t worry about tomorrow because I know that through God I am more than a conqueror, having conquered the last one decade. So, my projections regarding my publication in the next ten years time is to see to it that every stakeholder in the Nigerian project especially at the grassroots (774 LGAs) sees and accept my newspaper as their in-house publication, effectively projecting and promoting the activities and untapped potentials of the people at the grassroots, as well as the good image of Nigeria to the rest of the world.
Why are you honouring some eminent personalities, companies and organizations as part of activities marking the tenth anniversary of Grassroots Trumpet?
Our reasons are very simple and unique. After extensive appraisal of the journey so far of our country, we realize that it is necessary and compulsory to recognize and appreciate all those who have contributed in one way or other to bringing us thus far. It is also intended to inspire them to do more and spur a great number of others who have lost hope in the country to join hands in the task of rebuilding our nation. So from the foregoing, you can see that the idea of honouring personalities, companies and organizations during our tenth anniversary celebration is germane. It is a time to really appreciate them for all they have done thereby encouraging them to do more to making our country Nigeria a better place for all of us.
In what ways is your publication impacted on the people or communities you are covering?
As you all know, we don’t like blowing our trumpet but be that as it may, I will say that we have greatly impacted on the people and the communities. From inception till date, we have remained a pasetter in all our activities. Every year my companies donate educational materials to poor public schools, we have offered scholarships to indigent students from nursery up to the university level, we have also rewarded those who have assisted us to where we are today (Facilitators Prize), we sponsor sporting activities annually talking about inter-school athletic competition, we have also organized series of lectures to educate and sensitize the people towards building a united, secured and peaceful nation, we single-handely funded security summit in part of the Niger Delta, we empower the less privileged and orphans as part of activities marking my birthday annually, and have also funded the production of the newspapers of majority of my colleagues as well as sustain them regularly due to economic hardship, we have provided shelter for the homeless, among others too numerous to mention. So, with all modesty, I will say that we have really impacted the people and the communities in the last one decade, and we are ready to do more as the Lord provides.
Sir, finally what is your thoughts on the growing threats of social media on the mainstream media?
I will say there are no threat anywhere so long we are creative and innovative. We all have our target audience, and I know that not everyone in Nigeria particularly in the rural areas has good internet facilities or is ICT compliant. So, no threat anywhere. However, we have upgraded too.
What is the secret of a successful publication?
It is consistency. When one is consistent everything will be attracted to him – Advert and other opportunities easily come when your publication is consistent and with office space where customers can come and relate with you.
