Delta State Printing and Publishing Corporation Law

DELTA STATE PRINTING AND PUBLISHING CORPORATION LAW

1. Citation. This Law may be cited as Delta State Printing and Publishing Corporation Law.

2. Interpretation. In this Law unless the context otherwise requires- "Board" means the Board of Directors of the Corporation appointed under section 4 of this Law; "Chairman" means the Chairman of the Delta Printing and Publishing Corporation; "Corporation" means the Delta Printing and Publishing Corporation under the provisions of this Law; "financial year" means the period beginning on the 1st day of January in one year and ending on the 31st day of December of the same year; "function" includes powers and duties; "Governor" means the Governor of Delta State of Nigeria; "member" means a member of the Delta Printing and Publishing Corporation; "State" means Delta State of Nigeria.

3. Establishment of the Delta Printing and Publishing Corporation. (1) There is hereby established for the State a corporation to be known as the Delta Printing and Publishing Corporation. (2) The Corporation shall be a body corporate with perpetual succession and a common seal, and shall have power to sue and be sued in its corporate name, and to hold, acquire and dispose of lands.

4. Constitution of the Corporation. (1) The Corporation, except for the Managing Director, shall have a part-time Board of Directors consisting of a Chairman and four members who shall be appointed by the Governor. (2) The appointment of the Chairman and members of the Board of Directors shall be published by way of notice in the Gazette. (3) The Chairman and members shall, subject to the pleasure of the Governor, hold office for a period of two years, or for such a period as the Governor deems fit, except the Managing Director. (4) When the Governor revokes the appointments of the Chairman and members of the Board of Directors, he may by notice published in the Gazette appoint an administrator or a committee of management, or constitute the Managing Director as sole administrator to perform their duties.

5. Salary or allowance to Chairman and members. There shall be paid to the Chairman and members such salary or allowances as the Governor may determine.

6. Resignation. The Chairman or a member may resign his appointment by writing under his hand addressed to the Governor, and on the receipt of the resignation letter by the Governor the appointment of such a person shall be terminated.

7. Power to co-opt. When, upon any special occasion, the Corporation desires to obtain the advice of any person upon any matter, the Chairman may co-opt such a person to be a member of such meeting or meetings as may be required and such person shall, when so co-opted, have all the rights and privileges of a member, save that he shall not be entitled to vote upon any question.

8. Meetings of the Board. (1) The Board shall meet at least once in every calendar month. (2) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (1) of this section, the Chairman may summon emergency meetings as and when necessary. (3) Three members of the Board including the Chairman shall constitute a quorum. (4) The Chairman shall have an original vote, and when the votes are equally divided, a casting vote in addition to his original vote. (5) Any two members of the Board may, by notice in writing and signed by them, request the Chairman to call a meeting of the Board for such purposes as are set out in such notice. (6) At any meeting of the Board, the members present shall, in the absence of the Chairman, elect one of its members to act as Chairman, and any decision taken at such a meeting shall not be invalidated by reason only of the absence of the Chairman.

9. Functions of the Corporation. (1) It shall be the duty of the Corporation to disseminate knowledge of and encourage interest in the State and to give guidance to the public upon matters of public interest including any executive and or legislative act of the Government. (2) The Corporation shall in the discharge of its duties under subsection (1) have powers- (a) to operate news and feature services including press photography; (b) to promote, encourage and stimulate interest in the study of journalism; (c) to print; publish and sell newspapers, periodicals, broadsheets and advertisements devoted to news, reports of outstanding general interest, well- informed criticism and features; (d) to encourage and give publicity to the arts and industries of the State; (e) to undertake and arrange for broadcast programmes; (f) to encourage by competition or otherwise the composition of music and literature of all kinds; (g) to maintain depots for the distribution of periodicals, literature and books; (h) alone or in conjunction with other persons and organisations to engage in modern information technology.

10. Financial provisions. (1) The Corporation shall afford to the Governor facilities for obtaining information with respect to the property and functions of the Corporation and shall furnish him with returns and accounts and other information with respect thereto and afford him facilities for the verification of information furnished, in such manner and at such times as he may require. (2) The Governor may give to the Corporation directions of a general or specified character as to the exercise and performance of its functions, and the Corporation shall give effect to such directions.

11. Sources of revenue. (1) The funds and resources of the Corporation shall consist of- (a) such sums as may be provided by the State Government; (b) such sums as may be provided by the Corporatism in accordance with the provisions of this Law; (c) all sums collected or received by the Corporation in the execution of this Law. (2) Where the Government makes any advance to the Corporation at any time for working capital or for any other purpose, the Corporation shall, as soon as any such advance is made, issue to the Government debenture stock of a total nominal value equivalent to any such sum advanced and bearing interest at such a rate and from such a date as shall be determined by the Governor.

12. Managing Director. (1) The Governor shall appoint a Managing Director after obtaining consent from the relevant authority and shall delegate to such a person such functions as are necessary for the efficient transaction of the routine administration of-the affairs of the Corporation, and for this purpose may from time to time issue written instructions under the common seal. (2) Any person appointed under the provisions of subsection (1) of this section shall be a member of the Corporation.

13. Power to engage staff. (1) The Corporation shall from time to time appoint upon such salaries, terms and conditions as it may deem fit, such suitable persons as officers and employees as may be necessary for the proper and efficient conduct of the operation of the Corporation. (2) Service in the corporation shall be deemed to be approved service for the purposes of the Pension Reform Act and its officers shall be entitled to the same benefits as their counterparts of the civil service under the said Act.

14. Pensions and retirement benefits. The Corporation may, subject to the approval of the Governor- (a) grant pensions, gratuities or retiring benefits to officers and employees, and may require them to contribute to any pension or contributory schemes; and (b) grant loans to officers and employees for the purpose of advancing their skills and efficiency.

15. Borrowing power. The Corporation may with the consent of or in accordance with any general authority given by the Governor, borrow by way of loan, overdraft or otherwise, such sums as it may require for meeting its obligations and discharging its functions under this Law, and the monies aforesaid may be borrowed from the Government or from such other persons and upon such terms and conditions as may be approved by the Governor.

16. Investment of money. The Corporation may invest all or any portion of its money in such mariner as may be approved by the Governor.

17. Application of revenue accounts. The receipts of the Corporation or revenue account in any year shall be applied in the payment of charges in the following order- (a) the salaries, allowances of members of the Corporation; (b) the salaries, allowances, fees, remuneration, pensions, retiring benefits and gratuities of servants and agents of the Corporation; (c) working and establishment expenses and expenditure on maintenance of any property vested in the Corporation; (d) provision for the depreciation of or the renewal of any property vested in the Corporation; (e) interest due on debenture stock issued in accordance with section 11; (f) the cost of, or any portion of the cost of, any new working plant or appliance, not being renewal of any property vested in the Corporation, which the Corporation, with the approval of the Governor, may determine the charge to revenue: Provided that- (a) the Corporation shall at the end of the year provide such sum as may be reasonably necessary to meet current liabilities; (b) the certificate of the auditor of the accounts of the Corporation shall be conclusive as to the amounts available for any of the purposes aforesaid.

18. Accounts. The Corporation shall keep accounts of its transactions to the satisfaction of the Governor.

19. Bad debts. The Corporation may, with the approval of the Governor, write off bad debts.

20. Audit. The accounts of the Corporation shall be audited by auditors appointed by the Corporation with the approval of the Governor.

21. Reports to the Governor. Not later than three months after the end of each financial year, the Corporation shall forward to the Governor a full report on the exercise and performance of its functions during that year together with a certified copy of the audited accounts of the Corporation.

22. Standing orders. (1) Any contract or instrument which, if entered into or executed by a person not being a body corporate, not required to be under seal may be entered into or executed on behalf of the Corporation by any person generally or specifically authorised by the Corporation for that purpose. (2) Any document purported to be a document duly executed or issued under the seal of the Corporation or on behalf of the Corporation shall, unless the contrary is proved, be deemed to be a document so executed or issued as the case may be. (3) The seal of the Corporation shall be authenticated by the signature of the Chairman or any member authorised by the Corporation and the Secretary to the Corporation.

23. Suit against the Corporation. No action shall be instituted against the Corporation, its members, staff or disclosed agents unless thirty days’ notice of intention to sue has been given to the proposed defendant, which notice shall state the proposed cause of action and the name and address of the plaintiff.