The Anambra State governor, Chief Willie Obiano has inaugurated a new board of directors for the Anambra State Broadcasting Service (ASBS).
The board comprises seven persons and is headed by Mr. Emeka Maduegbuna, a veteran broadcaster and Public Relations guru who is also the Chairman of Frontline Lagos Public Relations firm, Corporate and Financial PortaNovelli.
The functions and duties of the board will include the laying down of policies, and operation of policies towards effective running, planning and development of the Anambra Broadcasting Service which marked its 30th anniversary with a public lecture on March 4, 2015.
The board will also be responsible for the management of all the business, to keep and preserve all the property of the service and exercise all the functions of the service under section 5 of the law which established the broadcasting service.
During the inauguration ceremony at Governor’s Lodge, Amawbia, Governor Obiano implored members of the board to improve the standards of the broadcasting houses so as to make it high enough to compete with that of CNN “I challenge you to strive for CNN standard. I want you to improve ABS. I want ABS to be like CNN. I don’t want to compare ABS to any other local broadcasting house,” the governor enthused.
The governor commended members of the board for their individual achievements and successes in various walks of life which served as qualifications for their appointment to serve the state. Governor Obiano acknowledged the head of the board, Mr. Maduegbuna for his long standing achievements in the media industry which have stood him out over the years.
In his address to the members of the board, the Governor mentioned that he had invested a sum of N1.5 billion in the course of his administration in a bid to revive the broadcasting sector of the state that had been neglected in previous administrations. He made a declaration, saying “The equipment we have on the ground now gives us a great advantage. So, I want ABS to be in the front row in terms of content, in terms of reach and in terms of programming. I want ABS to be the most watched TV station in the South East,”
Governor Obiano also expressed his hope that individual and collective commitments of the newly inaugurated board members and the resurgent broadcasting group would soon find a comfortable footing in the marketplace.
Mr. Maduegbuna who spoke on behalf of other members of the Board said “I think we have a date with history with regards to revamping and repositioning ABS. Ours is to make that dream come true and I believe that we will get down to work . We will not disappoint you,” Mr. Maduegbuna assured the Governor that they were fully aware of the level of confidence which their appointment onto the board had imposed on them and that they would do their utmost best to deliver on the expectations of Ndi Anambra.
