Cross River State governor, Prof. Ben Ayade, on Tuesday commissioned the first privately-owned FM station in Calabar, the state capital, called Hit FM with the frequency 95.9.
The governor, who was represented by his deputy, Prof Ivara Esu, at the event which was widely attended by media celebrities, internationally celebrated artists like Don Jazzy and Sunny Nneji; local artists, businessmen and women, politicians, hailed the owners.
According to Sunny Nneji, when he was called to deliver his speech, he said that Hit FM has come to stay, and it is going to be a platform for lending Cross River voice, culture and music to the rest of the world. High Chief Edem Duke, in the same vain, maintained that after 35 years, this is the first time a private FM Station is to be established in Cross River, an indication that we have been backward hence, the need for us to sit up.
The former Deputy Governor, Barr Effiok Cobham, admonished that information content should not only be educative, but balanced for integrity purpose. When the integrity of a media organization is compromised, it becomes difficult for such to key into the political development process of a society.
The Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly, Hon John Gaul Lebo averred that the Social Media and FM stations are considered as “the Fifth Colum” because the government has lost control of them and they are increasingly becoming very powerful. Any government or administration that does not appreciate this reality is in the process of retrograde engineering.
The private FM station has Mr Pat Ugbe as its Chief Executive Officer. Mr Pat Ugbe is a media giant, one time Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, one time Commissioner for Information and Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development in Cross River State. The emergence of Hit FM is a precursor of a thriving private sector in the administration of Prof Ben Ayade.
The ribbon was cut by the Deputy Governor in the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. Other political appointees and prominent sons of the state in attendance are: Mr Christian Ita, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor; Barr Tina Agbor, Secretary to the State Government; Hon George Oben’Etchi, Commissioner for Solid Minerals; Hon Oliver Orok, Commissioner for SDGs; Chief Gabe Okulaja, Special Adviser on DOPT; Hon Peter Oje, Special Adviser on Political Matters; Hon Eko Atu, the Executive Secretary of Cross River Port Autority; Mrs Rosemary Archibong, Commissioner for Information and orientation; Hon Boniface Ishamali, Special Adviser on Petroleum and Mr Ray Ugba Morph, Special Adviser on Contacts.
Other prominent sons of the state in attendance were: Hon Legor Idagbo, Member Representing Bekwarra, Obudu and Obanliku Federal Constituency; Liyel Imoukuede, a Business Mogul; Iwara U. Iwara of the Calitown, the Cross River State President of Association of Online Journalist (ACROJ); Raphael Morphy, the Secretary of Abitto Global Oil Services LTD and Francis Ekpo, Member of Cross River Carnival Commission.
