By Nduka Val
The president of Imo State Professional Photographers and Videographers Association of Nigeria(ISPPAN), Comrade Chibueze T. Onyeahialam, has appealed to Imo state government to include some of his members in any government- initiated empowerment programme to enable them discharge their acquired skills professionally in the state.
Onyeahialam made the appeal to some journalists recently in Owerri while celebrating this year’s World Photography Day, with his members, which centred on the Theme-‘Home’.
Continuing with his expressions, Onyeahialam stated that the empowerment of ISPPAN members by government would encourage the exhibition of their acquired skills and professionalism, stressing that it is through such an empowerment that there newly established Ministry of E-goveenment and Digital Economy would accurately be justified. He affirmed that many Photographers and Videographers have acquired sound professional qualifications that would encourage their engagement as teachers to handle Photo and video editing at the ongoing Imo Skill-UP project of the state governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma.
He clearly revealed that he had previously notified the commissioner for Digital Economy and E-government, Dr. Chimezie Amadi, about the readiness of some of his professional members to accept the offer if provided, frowning at a situation where highly qualified videographers and Photographers from Imo extraction could be left unemployed, while preference is always given to outsiders with an accopanying fat salaries.
“It is very important to us that the commissioner for Digital Economy should employ photographers and Videographers from Imo State for that purpose”, Onyeahialam stated.
He did not mince words in thanking governor Uzodimma for the establishment of Digital Economy and Skill-Up project in Imo state.
On the theme of this year’s event, Home, the president described it as very unique because of its emphasis on the home as the beginning and the end of every photography, positing that the use of the event to recognize some philanthropists from the state was to honour the impact their philanthropy has paid in the lives of people, including photographers and videographers.
According to comrade Onyeahialam, top among them was Dr. Chima Amadi who he said has empowered some of his members and other benefits credited to him, making the body to install him as it’s Patron.
In same vein, Onyeahialam reeled out some of his achievements since he assumed office in 2022, to include: training and retraining of 50 photographers, registration of ISPPAN with CAC , Opening of a corporate account with Zenith Bank for the organisation, production and launching of the first ISPPAN magazine and many others.
The Ehime-Mbano son unfolded two major challenges confronting ISPPAN to include: Lack of Mini photo Enlargement Laboratory and lack of revenue generating studio, noting that the body has continued to solicit for assistance from all the invited good spirited individuals for a solution to those challenges, including empowering the trained ISPPAN members.
The event was chaired by Chief Kennedy Zanders, the CEO of Zanders F.m, Owerri, as well as the Chief patron of ISPPAN, while mr. Ubanze Odowueze of Channel Television delivered a very impressive lecture on the chosen theme, Home.
