Tejiri Ebikeme
The Nigeria Union of journalists, NUJ Delta Broadcasting service Warri and Asaba chapels and the Radio and Television, Theatre and Arts Workers union, RATTAWU, Delta Broadcasting service Warri and Asaba chapters have urged the state government to prevail on the contracting firm (COMFAX) handling the digitization project of both stations to expedite action in the completion of the project.
The unions while commending the state Governor , Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan in his intention in repositioning the state owned broadcast stations particularly in upgrading of facilities to meet the international digitization requirement resolved that the projects in both stations should not be commissioned until it has been completed and certified by the stations engineers.
The unions in a statement signed by its leaders urged the state government to prevail on the contracting firm COMFAX to replace the Asaba Television transmitters and its accessories to enable the station commence full transmission as the Television transmitter has not been on air for over one year.
The Television transmitter at Ubulu-Uku is operating on the same channel 41 with the Warri station an unprofessional decision by COMFAX.
According
to the statement the Asaba and Warri Stations have continued to improvise in the running of the station by using personal cameras,vehicles and other logistics to run government business. The ministry of informationsupervising the affairs of the stations has posed as a clog in the wheel of progress, we request to be made a Directorate under the Governor’s office like our counterparts in some states.
The Television and Radio transmitters in Warri always go off air once it rains due to lack of thunder deflectors .
The unions have observed that COMFAX has deliberately frustrated the digitization of DBS Warri and Asaba stations in order to extort more money from Delta state government as the well as put government under pressure to review the contract.
The unions have resolved to resist any attempt by the state government to commission an uncompleted digitization project by embarking on a “BRING BACK OUR TV AND FM ” protest on the streets of Warri and Asaba.
