‘NTA Eket, Channel 35 to commence operation’

Ini Billie, Uyo

NTA Eket, channel 35 is soon to commence operation according to Mr Abraham Kadung, Head of Transmitters, Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) Abuja.

Kadung said NTA’s Director-General, Mr Yakubu Mohammed directed him to get the station which had been abandoned for some years working again.

Speaking on Wednesday in Eket during a facility tour with Mr Pat Ifon, a member representing Eket Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives to the station, Kagung said they were on a needs assessment visit.

He stated that with minimal cost, the management of NTA has restored many stations back on air in the country, and commended the lawmaker for his patriotism in seeking for the restoration of the station.

“When the Executive Director and DG NTA came on board, so many of these stations were not functioning but they were able to bring them back on the air.

“I know with this commitment made, in no short time, the NTA Eket channel 35 will be back on the air,’’ he said.

On his part, Ifon said he visited NTA facility as a result of its Director General’s ideas to carry out a needs assessment inspection of what the station needed to function.

“This is in compliance to the three weeks directives on the technical team by the DG, NTA to visit the facility for a needs assessment.

“The assessment will aid in the summation of equipment cost towards the reviving of the abandoned television station,’’ he said.

The lawmaker expressed appreciation to NTA for the swift response on the resuscitation of the community television station, saying the visit would give him and the technical team firsthand knowledge on the demands of the station.

He said when fully functional, the television station would impact positively the lives of his constituents in the area of job creation and proper information dissemination.

He stated that it would be a disservice to the people of the constituency if he fails to consolidate the achievements of the initiator of the project, Chief Nduese Essien, while in the House of Representatives.

“What we are doing is to have firsthand knowledge of what and what is required to put the place back in shape.

“The team will get back to the DG to brief him on the needs and the cost implication, we will have a meeting to streamline our partnership pact, so the process can commence immediately,’’ he stated.