By Sarah NEGEDU
Federal Capital Territory Minister of State, Dr. Ramatu Aliyu, has asked operators of the newly commissioned Abuja Municipal Area Council, AMAC, community radio to avoid venturing into sensitive issues that have the potential of disuniting the people.
The minister who made the call at the inauguration of AMAC community Radio in Karshi, specifically urge the operators to avoid misadventures into politics and religion but ensure that the station serves as a platform that would facilitate an interface between duty bearers and rights holders.
While describing community radio as a medium of expressing and sharing views, thoughts, ideas, problems and prospects of rural, disadvantaged, vulnerable and hard-to-reach populations, she however, warned operators to be weary of individuals and groups with interests and dispositions to cause public disquiet and disrupt the peace of the society
“We are therefore confident that this community radio can help us in addressing social, economic, cultural, educational, health, water and sanitation and disaster-related issues more effectively and strategically.
“The station should also promote small and medium enterprises development by creating market opportunities for the operators and consequently improve their sales and incomes, and contribute to the socio-economic development of the people.
“It is important that we must avoid misadventures into politics and religion and any sensitive issues that have the potential to divide rather than unite our people. These and many more are daunting tasks before you, and you must do everything to avoid such landmines”, the minister cautioned.
Aliyu also commended the chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council, Abdullahi Candido, for the diligence exhibited in the service of the people, stressing that the Cstation would further enhance revenue generation of the council.
Speaking earlier, the AMAC chairman, Abdullali Adamu Candido, said that the aspiration of his government since 2016 was to change the narrative, establish the concept of self-sustaining council with economic strength.
He added that the vision was developed to a conceptual framework which transformed to the establishment of some institutions such as AMAC Investment and Property Development Company, AMAC Micro finance bank, AMAC Marshals and the AMAC Community Radio, stressing that their operations are being monitored to ensure their sustainability.
Candido, affirmed that the radio station was established in order to bridge the information gap and to further bring governance closer to the people, while charging residents of Karshi community to safeguard the project.
