Abandoned broadcast facility to become media training centre

The management team of Aso Radio and Television Station is set to convert the station’s abandoned facilities at Abaji Area Council to a media training centre for better capacity building for journalists.

It has, therefore, recommended the proposal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Muhmmad Musa Bello, for approval and quick takeoff.

“We are looking at how we can use our facilities at Abaji to build capacity for journalists, if our recommendations are accepted, we shall proceed to establish a training school there,” said the Managing Director, ASO Radio /Television, Ibrahim Damisa, during a tour of its headquarters by the FCT Ministers Press Corps in Abuja.

Damisa urged practicing journalists to desist from assisting the spread of fake news, adding that the practice has dealt severe blow on the nation’s image. He said that there is an urgent need to reverse the trend.

He used the occasion to call on media practitioners to remain committed to the ethics of the profession.

While he attributed the rapid transformation in the station to the resolve of the minister to revive all revenue-generating agencies in FCTA, Damisa equally reiterated commitment of the station to staff’s welfare.

He further called on policy makers to always recognise media practitioners and also carry them along in policy implementation.

According to him, “implementation of government’s policies fail, when the media is not properly incorporated into the processes and also empowered to bridge the communication gap between government and the people.”

He said the backlash that followed the recent increments in electricity tariff, petrol pump prices and the subsidy removal was as a result of the media not being recognised as a stabilsing factor.

“You are the ones bridging the communication gap between the people and the government. When it comes to communications, journalists play a very big role, they play the role of preparing the minds of the people to be receptive to policy implementation, when electricity tariff was increased, journalists were not recognised, the journalists would have taken sensitisation about the increment to the people, we need to know as reporters what the government is doing so that it can be properly communicated to the people, especially on the issue of subsidy removal, the journalists need to prepare the mind of the people.”