Group Condemns Attack On National Librarian

The Coalition of Editors and Media Executives has condemned recent media publication aimed at discrediting the image of The National Librarian/Chief Executive Officer of the National Library of Nigeria, Professor Chinwe Veronica Anunobi.

The group, led by its Coordinator, Abdulazeez Dirisu, in a strongly-worded statement issued on Tuesday, described the allegations as baseless and perpetrated by individuals to tarnish the reputation of the National Librarian.

.According to the group, “the perpetrators of this smear campaign of calumny is one of the several attempts to cast aspersions on the person of The National Librarian/Chief Executive Officer of the National Library of Nigeria, Professor Chinwe Veronica Anunobi for no reason other than their envy of the CEO’s successes recorded since she took over the helm of affairs at the NLN, until they now found favour with one Omole Ibukun and co.”

The coalition clarified that the controversial publication showed the sponsor of the story lack knowledge
about budget administration.

“The sponsor(s) failed to understand that annual budget expenses includes DTA paid to staff to attend workshops on budget preparation, cost of stationeries needed to produce the budget documents for submissions, sitting allowances paid to members of the budget committee just to mention a few.

“It should be noted that besides, the budget line is not a creation of National Library of Nigeria, but that of the federal government know how important it is,” he said.

The group described Prof. Anunobi as an “industrious and a pacesetter” noting her recent program launched in Akure, Ondo state, known as citizens engagement to hear the view of the citizens.

“We could recall that the Campaign is on-going in all the South Western states. The campaign themed “Reading Without Boundaries: A Renewed Hope”, speaks directly to the need for inclusivity in reading and the breaking down of barriers to access to reading. These barriers include the medium (Print/Electronic), geographical (rural/urban), social, or linguistic.