By Jude Owuamanam, Jos
Worried by the low coverage of the state-owned Plateau Radio and Television Corporation, a member of the Plateau State House of Assembly, Hon. Nannim Joseph Longyi, asked the state government to rejig the existing booster stations for the corporation so as to widen it’s coverage.
The boaster stations are located in Dankang community, Magun community and Shendam Local Government Area of the State.
The lawmaker lamented the owned media has been left unattended to by previous governments.
Longyi, who spoke to newsmen in Jos on Wednesday, called on his colleagues to set up an adhoc committee to rejig three booster stations in Plateau communities
According to him, “There is no doubt that one of the numerous responsibilities of the Government is to provide effective and modern means of disseminating information to its citizens.
“It is in fulfillment of this responsibility to disseminate genuine and correct information to the citizens that Plateau government established three booster stations for Plateau Radio and Television corporation PRTVC to reach out to the people in Southern Plateau”, he said.
He regretted that despite the existence of these booster stations citizens in Langtang North/Langtang South , Shendam, Mikang, Quan-Pan, Kanke , Kanam, Mangu and Wase LGA can not boast of receiving any electronic media signal where information regarding government activities as it’s concern them is being relayed to them.
The lawmaker also argued that the three booster stations ceased to function a long time ago, adding that it is worrisome to watch such crucial means of disseminating information not serving the purpose for which it was originally established by the state government.
He also expressed disatisfaction that citizens of the listed constituencies and other parts of the state have been deprived of getting correct and genuine information from these booster stations stressing that this development has made them to rely on hearsay and unverified information they can get from unreliable sources.
“It is against this background that I call on the leadership of the house to as a matter of urgency and necessity constitute an adhoc committee to look into the possibility of revamping PRTVC booster stations in Dankang, Shendam and Mangu LGA with the view to provide radio and television signals to the people at the grassroot”, Longyi said.