About 260 student-journalists from the 23 LGAs of Rivers State, including non indigenes are undergoing journalism training by BBC’s correspondents to start off a Radio Station (Chicoco Community Radio Station) in the old Port Harcourt township.
The Newswriter authoritatively gathered that 38 of the said would be journalists are undergoing advanced training, while 64 out of the 260 will become community correspondents. The Newswriter investigation reveals that the said radio station is set to speak for the voiceless people in the society, especially the waterfront dwellers, as human rights activists from rights groups, through the UN are the collaborating bodies, facilitating and financing the training and other workshops. We gathered, the radio station will be managed and maintained by the community when it fully operates.
We further gathered that the 260 have been split into groups, as only those who will qualify in the last workshop will be selected in the community correspondents. Information reaching our newsdesk has it that electrical and electronics engineers from BBC had installed solar powered electrical panel to defeat Nigeria’s ill-faded electricity system, as officials of U.S State Department, UN Habitat and British High Commissioner had visited the studio in July and August 2013. Meanwhile, an insider who pleaded for anonymity said that the radio studio which is in the offing is the best of its kind in Africa and number one in Nigeria, owing to the fact that the training equipment are BBC’s world class standard, even as the main building will accommodate Broadcasting Studio, Music Production Suite, Digital Newsroom, Conference Rooms as well as Cinema and events space.
Port Harcourt residents who spoke to our correspondent said the Chicoco Radio station would inform the world that the waterfront communities were safe haven with talented young boys and girls, clergymen, civil servants, market women, professionals, skilled workers, students amongst others, as against the presumption of the Government of Rivers State and its collaborators. They further expressed hope that, apart from informing, persuading, educating and entertaining, the radio studio was a plus to the economic well being of the youths in Rivers State. ###
