Kano Govt. sets up committee to ‘sanitise broadcast media’ ‎

The Kano State Government has set up a 14-member technical committee to sanitise operations of broadcast media in the state with Muhammad Garba, Commissioner for information as Chairman.

Mr Garba made the disclosure on Friday while briefing journalists on the outcome of the State Executive Council (SEC) meeting.‎‎

He said the technical committee would among other things, look into ‎the issue of professional misconduct and abuse of privilege by some media organisations in the state.‎

Mr Garba said: “Kano State has 13 broadcast stations, which is the highest in northern Nigeria, mainly owned by individuals.

“‎That is why we set up a committee of professionals to monitor radio stations in the state in order to ensure that they adhere to broadcast code and also to sensitize ‎them.

“As a government; we are not doing this to stop people from airing their views or stop the Freedom of Information ‎(FOI), we are doing it to sanitize the sector for the overall good of the state”.‎

Mr Garba disclosed that a professor, Umar Pate, was appointed as co-chairman while Commissioners for Justice and Religious Affairs, Ibrahim Mukhtar and Muhammad Adam would serve as members, respectively.

Others are Isma’il Na’abba, Director General Kano State Censorship Board, Representatives of Police, National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC), Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Radio, Television and Theatre Arts Workers Union (RATTAWU), Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and office of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), among others .‎

The commissioner disclosed that the council approved N245 million for the settlement of excess work load for three academic sessions for members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and Non Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU), Kano University of Science and Technology (KUST), Wudil.

Garba revealed further that the council also approved N552 ‎million for the rehabilitation of Phase I Kafin-Ciri Dam in Garko Local Government Area of the state.

“The council also approved N122 million for erosion and wash out control in Garko while N38 million was approved for replacement of batteries in 50 enrollment centres of National Identity Management Commission (NIMC),” he said.

He added that the council equally approved N16 million for the upgrade of vocational skill acquisition ‎centres in the state. (NAN)