The Benue state government has awarded a N149.3million contract for a 20 kilowatts FM broadcast transmitter and digital studio for the state-owned broadcast outfit, Radio Benue Makurdi.
The new broadcast equipment will replace the obsolete 10 kilowatts transmitter currently being used by the broadcast station with transmitting capacity of about 1.2 kilowatts.
Signing the contract yesterday in Makurdi on behalf of the state government, the Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr. Michael Inalegwu who was represented by his Permanent Secretary, Dr. Beatrice Tsavmbu commended Governor Samuel Ortom for the bold initiative to completely transform the broadcast outfit and make it vibrant and competitive.
The Chief of Staff to the Governor, Dr. Tivlumun Nyitse, who witnessed and supervised the signing noted that the upgrade of facilities at the station would help bridge the information gap between the people and the state government.
Dr. Nyitse said “we are in the era of information explosion and Benue cannot be seen to be a bystander in this process. And without a functional state radio there will be a missing gap between the people and the government.
“This is an attempt to bridge that gap, to expand the reach to the people, to share knowledge and information especially on government activities. So this is very welcome. I must say that I am pleased with the Governor’s action to ensure that this is done now because we need it now more than ever before. Besides we are in a transition and we need to be on top of our game.
“The people need to know what we are doing and they can only know that if we have an effective means of information management; and Radio Benue is key in this regard. I am happy as a media person that this is happing at my own time and I am proud of this action of the Governor.
“So I am commending the Governor Ortom for this steadfastness in trying to ensure that even though funds are not there, Radio Benue should not be deprived of its functional role of informing the people about government programmes,” he added.
On his part, the Managing Director of the contracted firm, Knicks Engineering Ltd, Mr. Chiedozie Idoko who said the contractual agreement provided for a three month execution period assured that the contract would be executed in record time.
He said, “it is a N149.3million contract; we are bringing a state-of-the-art equipment and there is going to be a digital studio including protective devices like UPS and AVR because of our erratic power supply. It will also come with all accessories because we are going to make sure that the whole antenna is properly put in place,” he said.
Elated Director General of Radio Benue, Dr. Charles Iornumbe, said the contract award marked a milestone in the history of the broadcast organization, saying “it has been the desire of Governor Samuel Ortom to procure new transmitters with studio equipment for Radio Benue.
“And today with the signing of the contract between the Benue State Government and the contractor, one is sure that the equipment will come to us and we will hit the airwaves so much that we will compete favorably with other established and emerging radio stations around.
“Our prayers is that let the politics that usually engulf the procurement of studio equipment like transmitter not weigh us down. And I am happy that the Ministry of Information which is our supervising agency has taken very proactive steps to ensure that this agreement is signed today.
“It will go down memory lane that the synergy between Radio Benue as an agency of Government and its mother Ministry has been very smooth to the realization of the information agenda of the Ortom administration.
“So as the people who are going to be in custody of this equipment, we assure Benue people that on receiving them, nobody will rest.
“I assure you that on assumption of duty, my management extended its closing hour from 9pm to 12 midnight which unusually is the hours of broadcast for the organization.
“With all things coming our way the way they have started, I think we can afford to go 24 hours but maybe gradually so that the donor, Governor Ortom will not be disappointed in the current management of Radio Benue.
“We pray that God gives him more wisdom and financial resources to extend similar gesture to other sister agencies that are in need of such facilities so that at the end of the day, we will collectively write the name of the Governor in gold,” Dr. Iornumbe said.
Present at the event to witness the signing was the Head of Service, Mrs. Veronica Onyeke.
Source: Vangurd
