NGGTour: FG equips NTA Zuru as officials schedule transmitter test for May.

[FMINigeria]

                        The Federal Government has indicated its determination to keep the people of Zuru in Kebbi State informed and educated as well as to create opportunities for development by providing the necessary infrastructure to make the NTA Station in the area operational.

Speaking during an inspection of ongoing work at the Station site by members of the National Good Governance Tour alongside the Kebbi State Governor, Alh. Sa'idu Dakingari, the Minister for Special Duties, Malam Kabiru Tanimu Turaki who stood in for the Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku said "Government is very concerned about information and people need to know what is happening.

He said "The essence of a TV station goes beyond mere information. It also has to do with education, entertainment and it provides an avenue for people to get verified and verifiable information from the source".

"Now when you don't give people information you create the avenue for rumours to start flying and that is not healthy for development in any society. So I'm happy that the NTA as a responsible organisation is taking this issue very seriously and they are making attempt not only to bring a replacement mast but to make sure it is coupled in the next one week and I think this is important because government is really concerned about making sure that things work correctly in this country".

According to the Minister, "this is the essence of the Transformation Agenda of Mr. President to make sure that there are quality services provided for Nigerian people and that things begin to work correctly in Nigeria".

The Minister therefore stressed the need for everything possible to be done in ensuring the Station is operational.

Earlier, the Officer in Charge, NTA, Zuru, Mr. Yusuf Malumfashi, informed the NGGTour Team that the Federal Government initiated the station to establish TV signal reception in the area and to bring development to the area socially and economically.

He told the delegation that the Federal Government also bought a new transmitter for the station and a generator set.

Malumfashi equally informed that the station's mast which collapsed in May last year was replaced during the week and engineers were being awaited to erect it. He said all other equipments needed at the station would be brought from the NTA Headquarters when the mast is raised.

Explaining the cause of the collapsed mast, the Station Head said there was deficiency in the installation which he pointed out was not carried out by the NTA but a private company identified as Calack.

He however said that this time around engineers from the NTA Headquarters would be deployed to site to supervise and certify the erection of the new mast.

"The people here are very much eager to have this Television Station because as I said they don't receive any Television signal from anywhere. Usually they only watch films on their Television sets but they don't take any news from their television sets in this area.

"The Federal Government has been doing a lot to ensure that the Television Station here comes on air and the D.G promised that once the mast is erected this week, by next month the engineers will be back to test run the transmitter", Malumfashi added.

In the meantime Governor Dakingari has pledged to provide an access road to the station as part of the State Government's contribution to the establishment of the Zuru station.

Via: Federal Ministry of Information (FMI) Nigeria