From Maurice Okafor,Enugu,
The President/Chief Executive Officer, Signature Communications Ltd, Comrade VinMartin Ilo, a journalist by profession, has revealed that Signature Television, established by him will officially commence broadcast in the month of April this year, stating even though all facilities/equipment for effective operation has been installed both at Abuja and Enugu stations of the television,but the management is taking a little time to test run the system
The Signature Television Chief Executive Officer, Comrade Ilo dropped this hint when he conducted a select group of journalists on facility tour of the Enugu office of the station named ‘Raymond Dokpesi Broadcasting House, situated at Thinkers Corner axis of Enugu metropolis.
Comrade Ilo stated, “We are a new station. We have every thing to start. Content is our major product. We are going on air in April. Our studios are ready. We are using the next one or two months to dot the I’s and cross the T’s. We want to continue to sensitise our people on the new station that is coming’.
The President/CEO of Signature Television assured that the station will keep to professional and journalism ethics since it is founded by a professional journalist and will be managed by professional journalists with experience in the profession.
He stated,’We are going to follow stories from the beginning to the end. For the first time in the South East zone,a medium is founded by a journalist,is funded by a journalist,managedH by journalists and controlled by journalists’.
He lamented that the dilemma of Journalism practice in Nigeria stems on the fact that most media outfits in the country are established and funded by business men who after a period directs and dictates to journalists under his employ to go against ethical conducts of the profession in his desire to achieve quick profit or selfish interests. But Signature Television has come to make a difference and stir a new direction for insistence on ethical conducts and practice of journalism
‘Before now the media organizations were established by business men who impose their personal interests on journalists against professional ethics’,Comrade Ilo stated,
Answering question on why he decided to locate one of the offices to Enugu instead of Lagos where there are lots of business enterprises that would easily patronize them, He stressed that the South East zone is highly under reported and have allowed their stories to be told by outsiders.
The President/CEO of Signature Television lamented that lots of natural and ugly incidences and even the good ones that abound in the South East zone are under reported because the zone lacks voices. Even when they are reported from outside, the entire story or facts behind the story are not featured properly by outsiders. But is time to dig in depth into such incidences so as to let the public and the outside world know exactly the exact and true picture or positions of many issues in the South East zone.
Fro instance,He mentioned that the issue of gully erosion is a threatening calamity in many parts of Anambra and Enugu states but the fact that is under reported, the concerned authorities both within and outside would never knew the extent of danger within. He mentioned the various tourist potentials,talents across the South East zone are under reported and remains unexploited because they don’t have a voice. But Signature Television has come to give voice to the voiceless,to enhance a better society for all.
Comrade Ilo revealed that Signature Television will also volunteer to be a training ground for aspiring journalists by engaging journalism scholars from higher institution in the South East zone on intensive internship for them to know and imbibe the basic rudiments of the profession.
The Enugu office station of Signature Television was officially commissioned on January 31st by the Enugu state governor Dr Peter Mbah,represented by his deputy,Barr.Ifeanyi Ossai and a former governor of Akwa Ibom state,Obong Victor Attah. An event that extended to ‘Amadeo Event Center’ where Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe and Senator Chris Ngige,among others, participated to mark Comrade VinMartin Ilo’s 60th birthday,25th year wedding anniversary and public presentation of his book captioned, ‘In Your Own Words’
Comrade Ilo started his journalism carrier in Rsdio Nigeria Enugu station,later was tranferred to FRCN Lagos,Netwotk but later resigned and joined DAAR Communications(AIT),where he worked for over two decades. Comrade Ilo was appointed as Special Adviser on Media Matters in ex-Governor Sullivan Chime administration in Enugu state,during his first tenure.
