Another round of political crisis is brewing in Enugu state following a move by the State Government to clamp
down on a radio station, Dream FM, Enugu owned by the Deputy Senate
President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu.
The station located on Okpara Avenue axis, came on air on September 7, 2012.
In undated letter with reference
ENS/ECTDA/ADM/69/Vol. 11/312 by the Commissioner for the Enugu Capital
Territory and Chairman of Enugu Capital Territory Development
Authority, Engr. Ikechukwu Ugwuegede and delivered to the FM station
on Monday, the Enugu State Government demands that the Dream FM
submits its building plan failing which it would be shut down.
Although the letter is titled “Approval for All Telecommunication
Masts in Enugu Capital City”, the body which however differs from the
heading reads: “In line with state government policy on Urban Renewal
to create an efficient city, Enugu Capital Territory Development
Authority in its resolve create and manage the city infrastructural
development in line with the original master plan (sic).
“You are advised to submit your building approval plan to Enugu
Capital Development Authority on or before 12th September, 2014.
“Failure to comply with the stated deadline will result in the closure
of your programmes.”
A staff of the station who doesn’t want to be named said
its management was yet to make an official position on the
development, stressing however lawyers of the establishment would
study the letter and respond appropriately.
“The heading of the letter talks about approval for
telecommunications masts, but the body talks about building plan. I
think it is political and i believe that the management and lawyers
would meet in earnest to study the letter and maybe request the ECTDA
to clarify”, he said.
The Enugu Rescue Group (ERG) has however lampooned the move as
“totally political and an extension of Governor Chime media clampdown
and civilian dictatorship in Enugu State”.
In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Comrade
Martin Okenwa and made available to Journalists yesterday in Enugu,
the group said: “the disparity between the heading of the letter and
its content showed that the Enugu State Government was just gambling
on the best way to silence the Dream FM before it finally settled for
the so-called building approval plan.
“This radio station has been standing right in front of the Enugu
State Government Secretariat for many years. So why this emergency
demand for building approval plan and why the threat to shut it down a
few weeks to the PDP congresses and primaries?
“Today, Enugu people only read what the State government allows
because government mops up every edition of newspapers and magazines
which contents it considers unfriendly; it locked out the media during
the recent kangaroo impeachment trial; hence this imminent clampdown
on the Dream FM Enugu is a bid to also determine what the people
listen to. It is indeed a total affront on free press and a grave
threat and disservice to a free democratic society.”
The group also recalled that it was the same Commissioner Ugwuegede
and his Enugu Capital Development Authority, which evacuated the
contentious 3,000 birds from the ex-Deputy Governor’s poultry farm in
January this year, but could not account for the birds during the
chicken impeachment trial.
It urged the media, the civil society and conscientious politicians in
the State to stand up against what it called “full blown impunity and
tyranny
