Security operatives
and officials of the Nasarawa State Urban Development Board (NUDB) yesterday
demolished a private radio station in the city, ‘Breeze FM’.
Daily Trust on Sunday gathered that police shot sporadically
at the premises of the station to disperse crowd who attempted to resist the demolition.
Our correspondent reports that hundreds of sympathizers arrived the radio
station as earlier as 6am, but no one was injured in the incident.
Speaking with newsmen shortly after the exercise, owner of
station, Nawani Aboki, said that the reason for the demolition was political
and that it was aimed at gagging the Press.
Aboki said, “Due process was not followed. You can see that
the wall is down now. It was marked yesterday and was demolished this morning.
Like we said, he had a different reason for it. Whatever reason he gives
officially is not the real one. This demolition was carried out because I don’t
belong to the same political party as the governor. He is afraid that the
station might not support his political ambition. Part of the reasons is that
the station aired a report on the ongoing Labour strike in the state.”
Aboki added, “we have the right to air the Labour strike
news. We even begged the government to come and present it’s part but
they declined. I want to assure him that what he thought he killed will remain,
will come back and grow.
“Let him continue to do what he likes but his time is also
coming to an end. We wish him well but we will meet in court. We must remain
calm in this situation. Let’s not take laws into our hands; let us ensure that
we follow due process and we all will meet in court.”
But Special Assistant to the Governor on Media and
Publicity, Ahmed Tukur, said that radio station was demolished for violating
building regulations and that the station was one among the five structures
demolished yesterday.
He said shops at the police A division and a house
belonging to the elder brother of the governor were also demolished.
Tukur added that the station was not targeted for anything
other than issues that have to do with building plan. He maintained that the
structure was approved as a residential area and that the station’s mast was hazardous to people in the area.
“If tomorrow the station acquires an appropriate site,
government will approve it immediately. The governor has no ulterior motive
against the station. About three different independent radio stations in the
state reported the Labour strike and they were not affected by this action,” he
said.
Efforts to gets the Nasarawa State Ubarn Development Board
(NUDB) to react to the development proved abortive as our correspondent
could not reach the chairman of the board, just as his subordinates declined to
comment on the matter.
Meanwhile, the state branch of the Nigerian Union of
Journalists (NUJ) has condemned the action.
Addressing newsmen, the state NUJ chairman, Dogo Shama,
described the government as an “open attack on the Press, adding that it was
aimed at depriving citizens of the right to balanced reports.
Shama said the state council of the NUJ will take action
against what he called government’s attempt to gag the Press. He added that the
chapter would liaise with the national body of the NUJ for further action.
“If there was any problem with the station or its
location, government should have resolved the matter in a matured manner,” he
said.
By Hassan Ibrahim
