Premium Times, leading online newspapers in the country, has elevated some staffers to help in growing the news platform.
One of them is Cletus Ukpong who has been elevated to the position of Assistant Managing Editor in-charge of South-South and South-East regions.
Before his promotion, Ukpong was Assistant Editor for the South-South region.
He was named Regional Editor, South, and will now coordinate the paper’s operations in the South-South and South-East zones.
Ukpong, an Akwa Ibom man is a Journalism graduate of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
The paper’s Editor-in-chief, Mr. Musikilu Mojeed praised Mr Ukpong for helping to grow PREMIUM TIMES’ coverage in the South-South geopolitical zone.
“We have come to know Mr Ukpong as a talented, committed and thoroughbred professional who does not consider journalism just as a means to a meal ticket,” Mr Mojeed said.
“His passion for journalism is simply out of this world and we are now pleased to expand his responsibility to cover the South-East region as well.”
Mr Ukpong is expected to take all necessary measures within six months to firmly plant PREMIUM TIMES as a leading news platform in the South-East just as he did in the South-South.
While assuring staff members that more hiring and deployment will follow, Mr Mojeed encouraged staff members to keep working as a team to attain the goal of raising PREMIUM TIMES to the highest level of excellence.
Ukpong reacted ‘’I have been promoted to the position of Assistant Managing Editor, Premium Times, and my duties expanded to cover South-east, together with the South-south which I have been overseeing.
‘’This is a great task for me, one that requires God’s grace and your moral support for meo succeed.
”Friends, I count on your advice, prayers and goodwill.’’
”I doubt if he can still recall this.”
Meanwhile, professional colleagues have felicitated Ukpong on his elevation.
Borono Bassey, the state publicity secretary of Peoples Democratic Party wrote ‘’This man, (who celebrates and supports people) was one of the very first people who celebrated the modest efforts I made in the REAL TIME reportage of the June 12, University of Uyo Crisis on PlanetFM.’’
‘’He sought for my number, called and interviewed me and published the report. Since then, I have found, and enjoyed years of warm and beneficial with him.
”All I have seen in the short time I have lived in this world have proven to me that the stars of the universe always align in favour of men like you who genuinely support and celebrate other people. This is just the curtain-raiser in the accomplishments that lie in wait for you.
”I celebrate you on this elevation. Congratulations sir,’’ Bassey added.
The State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Comrade Iniobong Ememobong penned ”Congratulations Cletus Ukpong on your elevation. Keep soaring!’’
Straightnews publisher, Israel Umoh, joins in felicitating Cletus Ukpong on his meteoric rise which is borne of God’s grace, resilience and hard work.
”May your light never be dimmed by agents of darkness and may your pen never dry up in the face of stomach writers and petty human beings”
”Allow the ink of our cherished Journalism profession to flow ceaselessly! May your store be filled with a basket of laurels!” Umoh posited.
