Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State has described individuals propagating negative reports about the state without verifying as enemies of the state. He urged all citizens to be promoters of peaceful coexistence at all times.
According to him, the state used to be the destination hub of foreigners because of the peaceful nature of the people and the weather of the state which he added was second to none.
Gov. Mutfwang stated these when the Director General, National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC), Mallam Balarabe Shehu Illelah and his management paid him a courtesy visit at the New Government House, Little Rayfield, in Jos recently.
He called on NBC to sanction any broadcast station across the country that dishes out fake news to the populace, stressing that it has monumental damage to the society.
Represented by Secretary to the Government of the State (SGS), Arc.Samuel Nanchang Jatau,he promised to settle the licenses fee owed by the Plateau Radio Television Corporation ( PRTVC), as well as key into the digital transformation of the NBC.
The D-G of the NBC, Mallam Balarabe Illelah congratulated the governor on his victory and intimated him that they were in Jos for an expanded Board of Management of the Commission crucial meeting and thought it wise to pay homage as well as to discuss some issues of strategic importance to both the state and the Commission.
He explained that NBC was established on the 24th August, 1992 after the deregulation of the broadcasting industry in Nigeria. Pointing out that it’s the apex regulatory agency shouldered with the responsibilities to among others, license, regulate and create an enabling environment for all broadcasters to provide qualitative and efficient broadcasting services throughout the country.
On the Digital Switch Over (DSO), Mallam Illelah said on 30th April , 2016 , Jos became the first state in Nigeria where the pilot scheme for free digital television was launched by the Commission. He added that the federal government deliberately chose Plateau as the pilot state for the implementation of the DSO in Nigeria due to its unique topography and the fact that Jos was the first state to introduce colour television transmission in 1974 in Nigeria.
According to him, presently, NBC is set to commence analog television transmission switch -off in Nigeria. This is also in the spirit of Jos being the first in television evolution in the country. He added that the Commission deserved to accord the state the honour it deserves by choosing it to be the first state to pilot the switch -off of analog television transmission in Nigeria.
He therefore appealed for the settlement of debt owed by the Plateau Radio and Television Corporation (PRTVC), to forestall the shutdown of the state owned broadcast station which he noted, serves as a source of information to the good people of the state.
