Demolition Of Breeze F.M: Nasarawa Government Dares Regulatory Body, Says Executive Director Violated NBC Safety Code

Rabiu Omaku

The government of Nasarawa state said it has no desire to clampdown on private media outlets operating in the state, the state commissioner of Information, Culture and Tourism, Honorable Abdulhamid Yakubu Kwarra have said.

The government mouthpiece disclosed this during a press briefing held at the state ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, Hon.Kwarra buttressed that the Executive Director of the private radio station Breeze F.M 99.9 violated the safety code of the regulatory body, the National Broadcasting Commission.

He described the reactions raised by the broad-spectrum populace as baseless lacking substance as the commissioner said the demolition was meant to protect residents within the vicinity from radiation, electrical dangers.

“The NBC code provides that safety precautions must be adhered to in the siting of electronic media outfits to avoid staff and members of the public being ” exposed to electro-magnetic fields “.

The Information commissioner however said,” It’s therefore follows that it is to protect the residents around Breeze F.M Lafia from exposure to transmission radiation and physical damage from mechanical or electrical systems”.

“And to provide space away from the homes of people for proper underground cable conductors to conduct lightening strokes which should be installed by Breeze F.M that NUDB evicted the radio station from the residential area along Shendam road where it was originally sited”.

“The Certificate of Occupancy acquired by the Executive Director of Breeze F.M 99.9,Nawani Aboki with number NS0738 was for the purpose of private residence not for radio station”.

He said the demolition exercise remain the statutory mandate of the Nasarawa State Urban Development Board to ensure that developers abide by the master plan of the state capital.

He debunked the insinuation going round that Breeze F.M was deliberately targeted because of their broadcast of the purported labour strike action in the state is uncalled for and lacking any iota of truth.

“Other private stations like Equity Tv, Option F.M Akwanga, Maloney F.M Keffi all aired the same reports”.

Hon.Kwarra said the demolition exercise by the state government was a replicate of the exercise carried out for the cleansing of illegal structures in the premises of NTA Keffi in 2016.

“The state government is not out to witch hunt any person or organization but is simply enforcing the laws of development control in order to sanitize urban and semi-urban areas of illegal structures”.