Breeze FM station will pay fine, Al-Makura says

Governor Umaru Tanko AlMakura of Nasarawa State has said the management of the recently demolished Breeze 99.9 FM located in Lafia will not receive compensation for the demolition but must pay a fine for violating approved land laws.

Al-Makura who stated this yesterday in Lafia during the distribution of relief materials to communities across the state devastated by communal crisis, said his administration would ensure the fine was paid as a deterrent against breaking of rules in building a structure in urban areas across the state.

The governor reiterated that the government would not pay any compensation as being suggested in some quarters but would instead see that the management of Breeze FM paid a fine.

“You cannot have a radio station that serves as the residence of the person. The same residence is used as a restaurant. The same place is used as business center and a prayer center. It does not happen anywhere,” AlMakura said. He appealed to the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to ensure that broadcast stations seeking license to operate first complied with all statutory regulations.

Speaking, NBC Zonal Director for North-Central, Mrs. Franca Ayetan, who had earlier led a team on a verification visit to the destroyed station, said,

“The radio station followed due process. On March 31 when we came to commission the station, the state government was fully represented. If government had raised any reservation then, as a regulatory body, we would have waited a little more before inaugurating the station.”

Reacting, the Executive Director of the station, Nawani Aboki, said he had no intention of paying fine.