Call Ekiti Progress FM To Order, APC Urges Radio Nigeria DG
The All Progressives Congress in Ekiti State has tasked the Director-
General of Radio Nigeria to call the General Manager of Ekiti Progress
FM, Mr. Kayode Akinsola, to order over his anti-Buhari materials he
daily ditches out on the station.
APC spokesperson, Taiwo Olatunbousn, in a statement on Saturday
frowned at the reckless use of anti-Federal Government materials daily
used on the station to discredit President Muhammadu Buhari.
He explained that more worrisome is the complicit roles of the General
Manager working in cahoots with Governor Ayodele Fayose to broadcast
materials that cast aspersions on the integrity of the Federal
Government, including painting President Muhammadu Buhari in bad
light.
“We are sick and tired about Akinola’s antics whose partisanship
towards the PDP-led government in the state is palpable. We have
complained and appealed to him on several occasions to at least give
the APC a voice on the federal radio station but he has always
rebuffed our appeals.
“The general manager will never use any press release by APC in
response to Fayose’s abuse of President Buhari, yet he allows Fayose a
free reign to abuse President Buhari regularly on that station. “The
latest of this is a programme aired by the station on Wednesday,
February 10, 2016 between 1.30pm and 2pm where Governor Fayose called
President Buhari many unprintable names and discrediting the Federal
Government that is his employer,” Olatunbosun explained.
Decrying the partisan disposition of the general manager, Olatunbosun said:
“Since he took over as the General Manager, he has not hidden his
preference for the promotion of Fayose’s propaganda and overt support
for PDP leaders and their activities while treating APC with disdain.
“It was so bad that reporters of the station who file any report that
is negative to Governor Fayose’s preference are verbally queried and
harassed even if the stories are true.
“We made several representations to him to adhere strictly to airing
programmes that will promote fairness, unity and decorum, but he
prefers to work for Fayose who, we gathered, specifically requested
for his transfer to Ekiti State under the last administration to work
for him.”
Olatunbosun argued that the station is supposed to be a replica of the
Radio Nigeria, Abuja headquarters, at the local level by giving fair
airing of President Buhari’s laudable programmes as well as giving the
opposition PDP space to ensure equity.
“Instead of keeping to professional etiquette of fair-play and equity,
Akinsola prefers spotlighting Fayose in most of the station’s public
and political platforms to take President Buhari to the cleaners,
including discrediting Federal Government’s programmes.
“Besides, our people are denied quality Federal Government programmes
on air while the GM has turned the station to the mouthpiece of Fayose
who makes divisive and provocative outbursts in clear breach of the
mandate of the station to mobilise Nigerians for unity and progress of
the country.
“We have it on good authority, and Governor Fayose has often boasted
publicly, that he brought Akinsola as GM to Ekiti to work for him and
he has been doing that diligently while APC’s voice is completely
drowned, as none of its press releases has ever been broadcast on the
station.”
The party urged the Director-General of Radio Nigeria to investigate
Akinsola, asking him to explain why he always approves airing
offensive programmes targeted to instigate Ekiti people against the
Federal Government, including using the station as a medium to abuse
President Buhari on daily basis.
“The earlier Akinsola is cautioned and sanctioned the better so that
the Federal radio station is salvaged from its present status as
another extension of the state broadcasting station where the ethics
of journalism have been thrown to the dogs,” Olatunbosun concluded.