BY NDAHI MARAMA, MAIDUGURI

Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno state has donated 60 and 40 KVA Uninterrupted  Power Supply (UPS) systems to Nigerian Television Authority, NTA Maiduguri  Zonal Network Centre to boost its transmission across the state.

The governor also donated a brand new 18 seater Toyota Bus and approved immediate construction of perimetre fencing of NTA premises.

All these gesture will cost the state government about N55million.

Shettima had while presenting the UPS to the Zonal Director, Mallam lawal Umar Lalu said, the UPS machines were made in France, purchased and delivered at the cost of N17.2million, while the Bus is about N12million.

According to the governor, he was earlier informed that Network Centre has not had a functional UPS which prevented her the use of 10kilowatts transmitter that covers the whole state, making it relay on only 1kilowatts transmitter which covers only Maiduguri Metropolis.

This he said was not acceptable, especially with the peculiar nature of Borno where information dissemination is vital.

He stressed that, personally, he will press on the minister of information and the Director General of NTA to allocate a Digital Satellite News Gathering (DSNG) or Outside Broadcast Van (OBvan) to the station which were taken away in the heat of the Boko Haram crisis.

The governor while announcing that he has approved the sum of N29.9m for the perimeter fencing of station, said, it will secure it and its corporate existence.

In an interview with the Senior Special Adviser, SSA Media in-charge of Television, Kwapchi Bata Dibal who was a staff of NTA before her appointment in 2012 said, NTA, even though, federal govt owned, serves the people of Borno which deserves such donation from the state government, as it has displayed professionalism, fairness and balance in its reportage.

She also said the centre has been very supportive of the Kashim Shettima’s Administration.