From NOAH EBIJE and ABDULGAFAR ALABELEWE, Kaduna
The Minister of Information and Communications, Labaran Maku yesterday declared that all progressive efforts of the Federal Government would not be successful unless there is peace in the northern part of Nigeria.In a remark on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Federal Radio Cooperation of Nigeria (FRCN), Kaduna network, Maku noted that as long as the region was not at peace, the entire country would not develop and progress.
He frowned at the attitudes of northern leaders for failing to improve on the legacies of the late Premier of Northern region and the Sardauna of Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello, stressing that radio Kaduna as one of the legacies of the Sardauna, must not be allowed to die.He charged the management of the radio station and other media organisations to send out messages that would encourage peaceful coexistence among the people and Nigerians in general. “As the minister of information, I have continued to cry out as my duty as the spokesperson of the Federal Government of Nigeria that as long as the North is not in peace, Nigeria cannot develop because the North is a large part of this country.
And I do know as your son that the unity of the North is crucial to the unity of Nigeria. We, therefore, have that duty today as never before to appreciate the responsibility that God has entrusted on our shoulders as children of this region.“I have continued to cry out that we in the North are in need of peace more than any part of the country because everywhere we are behind. Let me plead again as your son that this radio station and all of us who are journalists in the North, we should devote adequate space in our newspapers, in all our radio stations to send out messages for communal peace, for mutual relationship.
“Radio Nigeria, Kaduna is one of the glaring testimonies of the vision, leadership and commitment of Sir Ahmadu Bello to the development of Northern Nigeria. We’ll continue to honour him 46 years after his sudden departure from power.“From 1966 till now is clear 46 years. Let me say that nothing has happened in Northern Nigeria to equal the chance drive that Sardauna left for us, his children. This radio station, which was established along with New Nigerian Newspaper became foremost organ for the enlightenment of the people of the North and Nigeria at large. We will continue to miss the great Sardauna, but his legacies are there for us to build on.
“I want to congratulate the present leadership of FRCN for the great work they are doing to sustain these legacies. Both the Director General of FRCN and the Zonal Director of FRCN here in Kaduna have worked hard in keeping tradition alive. I want to assure them that the Federal Ministry of Information will continue to give them support to ensure that the radio station, which is the most popular in West Africa, which has viewers across this sub region continues to offer its services to the people of Nigeria.“I know that this region today is in need of this station more than ever in the past. When Sardauna established radio Nigeria, Kaduna, there were not communal conflicts in the North such as we are having now, when this radio station was opened 50 years ago, northerners were not killing northerners, instead northerners were working together in every community as one family.
“When this station came on board 50 years ago, the North was a clear leader in agriculture, when this station came on board 50 years ago, our youths were engaged and everyone was busy doing something for development. Today, this station has a challenge to do everything possible to send out those messages that will restore the glory of the North, that will restore its unity. That will touch our hearts , the children of this region to commit ourselves to the tradition that the Sardauna left for us, tradition of sustainable development, of leadership for development, of transparency, of accountability. These are the qualities that our
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