Benue State Deputy Governor H.E. Barr. Dr. Sam Ode, mni, has expressed state government’s determination to reposition Benue Television Corporation to deliver on its mandate.
The Deputy Governor stated this Tuesday when management team of the corporation led by the Director General, Dr. Mrs. Patience Achakpa Ikyo paid a courtesy visit to His Excellency in his office at Government House Makurdi.
He described the media organization as the best platform that can propagate the programmes and projects been undertaken by the Alia administration saying “no organisation can tell the story of the new Benue more than Benue TV because of its audio and visual effects”.
Barr Sam Ode was optimistic that most of the problems militating against the smooth running of the corporation will be addressed once he tenders their requests to the Executive Governor, H.E. Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia, adding that other avenues including partnership with corporate organizations doing businesses in the state will be explored for enhanced performance.
The Deputy Governor further assured that government will look for ways of addressing the power problem facing the corporation and explained that “due to competing demands for government resources, the requests will be met in order of priorities”.
Earlier in her presentation, the Director General, Benue Television Corporation, Dr. Mrs. Patience Achakpa Ikyo said they were in the office of the Deputy Governor to keep him abreast with activities of her organization and to seek government’s support to enable them deliver on their mandate.
“We are seeking that the Benue State Government who owns Benue Television use Benue Television, promotes Benue Television and projects Benue Television as a national TV. By the time you begin to call Benue TV first before any other TV station, you are giving us a projection, the endorsement that we are asking for”.
While soliciting the cooperation of the state government to encourage its political appointees and heads of MDAs in the state to always watch and advertise on Benue TV, the Director General also appealed for bulk purchase of Benue TV decoders by government through Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs for distribution to people at the local government areas either for free or at subsidized prices. According to her, this will encourage viewership of the state owned TV station.
She further disclosed that Benue TV can be watched on StarTimes and other social media platforms while discussion is ongoing with MultiChoice to place the station on DSTV, noting that their only challenge was to meet the 24-hour transmission requirement given by MultiChoice which she said was not feasible at the moment due to lack of steady power supply; this she further explained was also the reason they lost major advertising clients including MTN.
Mrs. Achakpa Ikyo therefore appealed for the provision of solar power alternative for the station as well as operational vehicles to carry out their daily activities.
Highpoint of the occasion was presentation of Benue TV decoder and dish among other souvenirs to the Deputy Governor by the Director General.
Ior Ikyereve
Deputy Chief Press Secretary
Office of the Deputy Governor.
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