By Our Assembly Correspondent
Members of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly divided over the appointment of a Director-General (DG) and a move to completely separate the outfit from the Ministry of Information.
The Speaker committed the bill to the House Committee on Information and sought wider consultations. He scheduled May 6 for the submission of the committee's report.
Today, Monday, the Nasarawa State House of Assembly passed into the second reading "A Bill for a Law to Enact Nasarawa Broadcasting Service and For Other Matters Connected Therewith 2024."
Rt. Hon. Danladi Jatau, the Speaker of the House, announced the passage of the bill after Hon Abel Yakubu Bala, the Deputy Majority Leader, presented the substance of the bill during today's proceedings in Lafia.
The Speaker instructed the committee to work on the bill and report back by May 6, 2024.
"I am giving you two weeks for wider consultations to ensure the best outcome for the report," the Speaker said.
Earlier, Rt. Hon. Abel Yakubu Bala said the bill aimed to provide legal backing for the effective dissemination of information by NBS in the state.
"It will increase the state's revenue base and enhance the station's service delivery in line with global best practices," he added.
He also noted that the bill sought the appointment of a Director-General (DG) for NBS, replacing the previous General Manager (GM).
The Deputy Majority Leader urged his colleagues to support the bill's second reading.
In their contributions, Dr Peter Akwe, Hon Solomon Akwashiki, Hon Musa Ibrahim, Hon Yusuf Chunbaya, Hon Larry Ven Bawa, Hon Esson Mairiga, and Hon Ibrahim Abdullahi Sa'ad voiced their support for the bill. They emphasized that passing the bill would enable NBS to operate independently of the State Ministry of Information, enhancing its effectiveness.
Hon. Musa Ekye highlighted the need for NBS to operate independently, while Hon Ibrahim Abdullahi Sa'ad expressed hope that the law would improve service delivery, particularly benefiting his constituents in Toto, where NBS transmission is currently absent.
On their part, Hon Hudu A Hudu, Hon Hajarat Danyaro Ibrahim, and Rt. Hon. Muhammad Adamu Oyanki, the Deputy Speaker, supported the bill but suggested further considerations before its passage into law.
Oyanki and Danyaro echoed Hon Hudu A Hudu's concerns about the appointment of a DG, considering it too political for a professional outfit. Hudu proposed appointing a General Manager for Radio, Television, and the Keffi station.
Hudu, a former station staff, also urged the House to consider separating NBS from the Ministry of Information before passing the bill into law.
