By: Monday Danladi, Bauchi
The Managing Director of Bauchi State Radio Corporation (BRC), Alhaji Umar Mohammed Shira, has expressed appreciation to the Bauchi State Government for converting 163 casual workers of the Corporation into permanent staff after years of uncertainty about their employment status.
Umar Shira also commended the government for the substantial funds it has invested in upgrading the station’s broadcasting facilities, particularly the provision of a new AM broadcasting transmitter, which is expected to restore the station’s former reach, enabling it to transmit programmes to distant locations, including parts of Cameroon, as it did in the past.
Speaking on the development, the Managing Director of BRC, Alhaji Umar Muhammad Shira, said the conversion of the 163 workers to permanent staff was the result of a long struggle involving repeated appeals, discussions with the government and the use of various strategies.
“It was not something achieved overnight. It was a long struggle, and this time, it has yielded results. We kept pushing, we kept appealing and we made repeated requests. Various strategies were employed,” he said.
Umar Shira described the absorption of the workers as full government employees as a major opportunity saying, it was not easy for a state government to absorb such a large number of casual workers and convert them into permanent staff at the same time, particularly considering the impact this would have on the state’s wage bill.
He urged the newly converted permanent staff to reciprocate the gesture by increasing their efforts, adhering to workplace regulations and ensuring that they justified the confidence the state government had placed in them.
“Now is the time to work seriously. They must remain committed and double their efforts. There is no room for laziness. They must work hard to justify the confidence the state government has placed in them,” he said.
He also urged the workers to demonstrate discipline and professionalism in carrying out their responsibilities, while showing commitment and dedication to public service.
Umar Shira assured the workers that BRC would continue to support their professional development through in-house training programmes and other capacity-building initiatives aimed at improving their knowledge and skills.
The BRC Managing Director also expressed his appreciation to the state government for the substantial investment it has made in upgrading the station’s equipment, particularly the revival of its AM service.
He said the station is currently conducting test transmissions and would soon commence full operations.
“Our AM station has been revived. At the moment, we are only conducting test transmissions, and very soon, God willing, it will commence full operations,” he said.
According to him, BRC has acquired a modern AM transmitter, which he described as one of the latest broadcasting technologies in the country.
Umar Shira said the new transmitter would enable BRC to reach distant locations because of AM radio’s ability to transmit signals over long distances.
“You know what AM means. It can travel long distances and cover many areas, just as BRC used to do in the past. We used to transmit as far as the borders of Nigeria, and some parts of Cameroon were able to listen to us,” he said.
He expressed optimism that BRC would regain its former broadcasting reach once the station begins full operations.
The Managing Director said the substantial investment by the state government demonstrated its understanding of the importance of the media and broadcasting organisations to the development of democracy.
He described the media as a bridge between the government and the people, saying BRC would reciprocate the support by operating professionally and broadcasting programmes that serve the interests of the public.
“We will continue to show our appreciation and will not relent in supporting the government, because we too must reciprocate this gesture. We will do so through professionalism,” Umar Shira said.
He added that BRC would continue to contribute to maintaining peace in Bauchi State by supporting public awareness efforts and promoting the policies and programmes of the state government.
Alh Umar Muhammad Shira, MD, Bauchi Radio Corporation
