Kano Government Sets Up Committee To Check ‘Media Excesses’

Kano Government Sets Up Committee To Check ‘Media Excesses’

Kano State’s executive council has sanctioned the constitution of a technical committee to look into the issue of professional misconduct and abuse of privilege by media organisations in the state.

The state’s commissioner for information, Muhammad Garba, said this on Saturday while briefing journalists on the outcome of the state executive council meeting.

Mr Garba said the committee, which will be chaired by the commissioner for information, is to, among other things, organise a stakeholders’ meeting comprising the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Film Censorship Board, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Information, proprietors of radio stations, security agencies, party chairmen, and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), to discuss their challenges and proffer solutions.

Kano State has the highest media concentration in Northern Nigeria, mainly owned by private individuals.

This gives opposition politicians an alternative to checkmate the government.

Some officials of the government are, however, uncomfortable with the operation of some private radio stations, especially their coverage of governorship supplementary election and the granting of media access to opposition politicians, who criticise the government’s programs and policies.

The commissioner hinted that a sweeping reform is underway at the State Pilgrims Welfare Board, following executive approval for the amendment of the edict, establishing the board to streamline its activities.

Mr Garba, who announced that a bill would be sent to the state House of Assembly to that effect, said the development followed the granting of license to the board by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) to carry out Umrah (Lesser Hajj) services along with Hajj operations.

According to the commissioner, the state’s executive council has also approved the release of the sum of N78, 701, 027.62 million as contribution of the state government for the implementation of the year 2019 Health Work Plan, just as it sanctioned a Community Policing Summit for the state.

He said the programme, which is a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Dangote and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundations, to improve child health outcomes is also intended to develop healthcare delivery services in the state.

The Commissioner said the multilateral MoU is being carried out by the state’s Ministry of Health, Hospitals Management Board, Drug and Medical Consumable Supply Agency and the state Primary Health Care Management Board.

“The council has also given approval for the release of the sum of N58, 544, 000.00 million as counterpart funds on the activities of Hadejia Jama’are Komadugu Yobe Basin Trust Fund.

“The council, has given authorization for the conduct of Summit on Community Policing to further consolidate on the giant strides taken by the Ganduje administration to protect lives and property of citizens which earns the state the status of the most peaceful state in the federation,” he said.

The council, he said, also approved the sum of N71, 100, 000. 00 for the procurement of vehicles to conduct operations at Ruga settlements and grazing reserves in the state.