Activist Joins Unionists To Battle Delta Govt Over Poor Condition Of Delta Broadcasting Services

The National President of Vanguard for Transparent Leadership and Democracy (VATLAD), Comrade (Engr) Emmanuel Odafe Igbini has lend his voice in the battle for the repositioning of the Delta state owned broadcast stations.

This is coming on backdrop of the petition to the State Assembly by the leadership of Radio Television Theatre & Arts Workers Union of Nigeria, (RATTAWU), Delta Broadcasting Service, DBS Warri Chapter and the DBS chapter of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, (NUJ) over the poor condition of the station.

The unionist had among others accused Mr Tunde Omonode, the General Manager of the station of allegedly collaborating with the commissioner for Information, Patrick Ukah and other to kill the broadcast station, saying that the said Omonode had taken the broadcast station 30 years backward and deliberately refusing to step down in connivance with the information commissioner even though his tenure has since elapsed.

But responding to the contending issues of DBS in a statement made available to BIGPEN ONLINE on Tuesday, Igbini, while commending the unionist for raising the alarm and also commending the state House of Assembly for the prompt action taken, said the problems of DBS predates the present administration of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa.

Igbini said that blame for the near comatose state of DBS shouldn’t be solely apportion to the Okowa’s-led administration but to the Political Elites of Delta State who he said are directly responsible for this collapse with some few civil servants exploiting the situation to also enrich themselves.

Specifically, he said some political elites in Delta State see DBS and some Agencies of Delta State Government as source of recovering and profiting on their financial investments in the election campaigns of Governors of Delta State. While some others are compensated with appointment into Boards of the Service by Governors of Delta State, he added.

He recalled that during the tenures of Governors Ibori and Uduaghan, Deltans witnessed very violent crisis between members of Boards of DBS and Management of DBS and the disturbing cause of the crisis is struggle over who controls and manages the funds acruing to the Service.

“The intention is never for the growth, development and smooth running of the Service and improvement of welfare of the workers rather it is more for benefits of the individuals, he added.

Igbini averred that the law establishing the broadcast services are being violated hence the persistent crisis in the station, saying that until the state government and political elities stop meddling into the operations of the stations, no revamping plans would work out.

“There is a Law of Delta State passed by Delta State House of Assembly for DBS. A very progressive law indeed! But the political elites have often deliberately violated this Law with impunity in order to hijack the Service and its Funds for their personal benefits.

“For instance, the Law clearly defines the Duties, Powers and Limits of the appointed members of Board of the Service. It also clearly defines the powers, duty and limits of the General Managers who are also the Chief Executive Officers fully responsible for the day to day running of the Service while the Boards are only to make policies for the smooth running of the Service and also to use their external influences to help in the growth and development of the Service.

“But sadly, the opposite is the case. Some members of Boards deliberately usurp the powers of the GMs/CEOs of the Service. We had in the past where some members of Boards insisted they are the CEOs and must run the service full time and on daily basis. This is the height of disregard of the Law of Delta State”.

Consequently, Igbini made recommendations to what he thinks the state government and stakeholders should do to revamp the ailing broadcasting services inter alia:

1) the Delta State Law in force is very progressive and if fully implemented, will put Delta State Broadcasting Service at par with its contemporaries such as Lagos, Ogun and other State owned Broadcast Services that are on Satellite TV and competiting favourable with leading Private States in Nigeria.

2) the Delta State House of Assembly must compel the Executive Arm of Delta State Government, specifically, the Governor, Commissioner of Information and members of Boards of DBS to operate strictly in compliance with provisions of the Law of Delta State Broadcasting Service.

3) Governor Okowa must direct all political appointees to respect the Law and allow the General Managers and Management of DBS to be fully incharge of the running of the Service.

4) the Delta State House of Assembly Committee must ensure it carries out regular and thorough oversight functions of the Service.

5) Governor Okowa should as a matter of urgency, direct a probe into the management of finances and funds acruing to this Service with a view to identifying and plugging loopholes being allegedly exploited to defraud the Service and Delta State.

6) Governor Okowa must immediately review appointments and ensure only qualified, proven incorruptible and patriotic media professionals within and outside the Service and who are Delta State indigenes are appointed to manage the Service.

8) There should be urgent purchase of vital equipment (Digital Cameras, operational vehicles, etc) needed by the Staff of the Service to deliver quality Broadcasting.

9) Welfare of Staff should also be improved in order to motivate them. The staff in the Core Departments should be sent on regular trainings to expose them to new technics and technologies in operation in Private Broadcast Services in Nigeria.

DBS is very critical in educating and informing Deltans of Policies and Programmes of Delta State Government and also helps to unite all parts of Delta State. Sadly, the present sad situation has continued to divide Delta State into two major parts while the policies and programmes of Delta State Government are hardly known to all parts of Delta State.

The situation where Delta State Governor communicates to Deltans through other private Stations that are on Satellite TV makes it difficult for Deltans to know the progress being made by Delta State Government and the challenges it faces.

The Lagos State Government easily and effectively communicates with Lagosians within the State and abroad using its Lagos TV that is both on Satellite TV and Terrestrial. This is what DBS should be and do for Delta State Government”.