Nigerian broadcasters back petroleum deregulation.

BON wants critical infrastructure addressed

Nigerian broadcasters back petroleum deregulation

Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON) says its member stations will support the deregulation of the petroleum downstream sector by the Federal Government.

Media proprietor, Raymond Dokpesi, who spoke on behalf of BON, said this shortly after the opening session of the 55th General Assembly of BON in Abuja on Thursday.

Dokpesi said that the member stations had reviewed the situation of the Nigeria and the economy before taking the decision.

He, however, said that BON would want the Federal Government to guarantee that proceeds from the policy would be channeled into fixing critical infrastructure in the economy.

Mr Dokpesi said that ``The Broadcasting Organizations of Nigeria very, very carefully reviewed the development from about 1978 when governments have come across appealing for the support of Nigerians in the case of the deregulation of prices of petroleum products."

``And a lot of promises were made to Nigerians, promises that included building new refineries, modernising the railway systems, building new hospitals, creating employment for Nigerians but these promises have not been kept by past administrations”, he added

He said that the broadcast media operators would deploy available tools within their reach to enlighten Nigerians on the deregulation policy of the Federal Government.

Hardship from deregulation

On the hardship that would come with the hike in prices of petroleum products and its attendant consequence on the citizens, Dokpesi said that all Nigerians must make sacrifices for the long term gains that the policy would likely bring in the future.

`And therefore we implore the Jonathan-Sambo administration to carry out a review, to ensure that we run a prudent government, secondly that the promises that have been made in the past with regards to building new refineries are put in place while existing ones are refurbished and made to produce very optimally.

``Let us create employment for our youth, lets us make Nigeria a better place, it is only on these conditions that the government project of deregulation will be welcomed and we will be able to identify with it and be to explain to our teeming listeners and viewers that this government initiative be endorsed.”

The theme of the 55th General Assembly of BON is: `Broadcasting and Deregulation of the Petroleum downstream.’’

Some heads of private and state-owned media organisations as well as chief executives of media-related establishments both within and outside the country attended the meeting.

The Executive Secretary of BON, Osita Nweke, told newsmen that the forum would amongst other things deliberate on issues affecting the growth of both public and private broadcast stations in the country.

Nweke said that at the end of the meeting, the forum would forward its recommendations on some policy issues to the Federal Government.

NAN/Ugo