Edo Govt To Upgrade Facilities In State Media Outfits

The Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki has pledged his administration’s commitment to the upgrade of the state owned media outfits, Edo Broadcasting Service, EBS and the Nigerian Observer, to meet up with the requirements of the modern digital era.

Mr Obaseki gave the assurance when he visited the EBS and the Nigerian Observer offices both in Benin City, the Edo State capital.

While being conducted round the facility with his team, the Assistant General Manager Engineering of EBS, Ameze Osagie, Obaseki said the media house was long overdue for an upgrade in order to compete favourably with other competitors across the nation.

“Clearly, we need to upgrade the station, this was good for its time but today with the digital era, we need to upgrade the technology, the premises, the quality of its people, we need to step it up,” he stated.

On the allegation of encroachment of the land belonging to EBS, he gave an assurance that the government would recover it once investigations are concluded.

“Thank God we have the laws in place, for those who have taking government land around this area, we need to collect the land back and use it to the facilities here.”

Also, after inspecting the infrastructure at the Nigerian Observer, the Obaseki said the facility had not been rehabilitated since its establishment by Brigadier General Samuel Ogbemudia, fifty years ago.

“I am not a media person or an expert but will consult and talk to people who know about the digital media era. Let us be clear on what to do and how we want to do it.

“I don’t know what we will end up doing with this organization because by the time it was set up in 1968, it was for its time using front line technology, front line press set up 50 years ago but today the media world has changed, technology has made things different. 50 years after with the same attitude we should look at where the world is today,” he stressed.