To say the era of conducting government business with total disregard for the rules and impunity is over is like stating the obvious. The Minister of Information Alhaji Lai Mohammed exhibited this when restored Pinnacle Communications Limited, one of the licensed signal carriers under the Digital Switch Over (DSO) to pay its role in digitization programme.
Pinnacle which is currently in court the Mba-led National Broadcasting Commission(NBC), has been assured that its role in the digitization process is secured in the on-going reviewed implementation of the policy.
That Pinnacle will play its role in the digitalization programme was disclosed by Alhaji Lai Mohammed at a forum with the Broadcasting Organizations of Nigeria (BON) in Abuja Wednesday where he announced the April 30 2016 take-off date for the Jos pilot DSO project.
Mohammed acknowledged the misgivings and the concerns expressed by some stakeholders in the digitization process over the DSO and expressed his determination to address them with a view to paving way for smooth implementation of the DSO by the 2017 deadline.
Responding further on the issue of the actual status of the companies given licenses for Digital signal carriers he maintained that misgivings that arose earlier are been addressed and that Pinnacle Communications Limited, amongst the digital signal carriers is equally fully secured.
The minister assured all present that forums like this will be conveyed on a regular basis to carry stakeholders along in the digitization process in the country.
Answering questions from various media chief executives present at the forum, he maintained that all other issues relating to the entire process leading to digital switchover in the country are being vigorously tackled including licensing regime of both digital signal carriers and content providers.
