Colonial Era Radio Station Gutted by Fire

After a failed attempt by some unknown persons to steal equipment from a radio station used by Nigeria’s colonial administrator and governor general, Lord Frederick Lugard, the assailants set the radio station on fire.

The radio station, located on Baro Empire Hill in Katcha Local Government Area of Niger State, had a five kilowatts transmitter.

he Niger State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Jonathan Tsado Vatsa disclosed this in Minna yesterday when defending the 2017 budget of his ministry before the state House of Assembly Committee on Information.

He did not reveal when the station was burnt, but said a report had been made to the appropriate authorities.

Mr. Vatsa told the committee that the ministry would retrieve what was left of the radio station and convert it to an FM station to serve the people of the state.

The commissioner said it was the intention of the state government to “turn Baro town to a Camp David” and solicited the support of the state assembly for the quick passage of his ministry’s budget.

Vatsa expressed concern over what he described as inadequate budgetary provisions for the ministry, which he said had hampered information dissemination in Niger State.

“The Ministry of Planning wants us to commit suicide; we were given a budget envelope which we cannot exceed, yet they want us to provide publicity on government activities.

“This is not about Vatsa, it is about government and government business,” the commissioner declared.

He continued: “I am handicapped, this year’s budget for the ministry is the worst, the information ministry’s budget is the worst.”

The committee promised to look into the challenges of the ministry in its report to the whole house.