ABIA PROCURES N65M DIGITAL BROADCASTING EQUIPMENT

Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Elder Ifeanyi Agbai stated this at a one-day sensitization seminar on Digital Switch Over (DSO), organized by the National Orientation Agency (NOA) in Umuahia the capital.

Describing the seminar as very timely and in tune with the government's policies, he pointed out that the state is the first in the country to cue into telehealth initiative by using telecom to drive health care services.

In her address, the state Director of NOA, Lady Ngozi Okechukwu said the areas of coverage of the seminar includes process of accessing benefits provided by such policies at the federal, state and local government levelsÔÇØ.

She said the seminar is a continuation of the agency's efforts to provide information and generate feedback from the people to raise awareness to actualize the vision of the nation in active citizen's participation.

Her words,"We are committed to providing citizens in both rural and urban areas with adequate and accurate information to enhance programme effectiveness, citizen's responsiveness and government accountabilityÔÇØ.

Similarly, the chairman of the occasion Chief Ukpai Agwu Ukpai commended the NOA for organizing the seminar, appealing to it to take the message to the grassroots.

Agwu Ukpai, who is the deputy chief of Staff (DCOS), office of the Governor, said "if technology is not brought down to the grassroots, there is a problemÔÇØ adding that this should be done through the traditional rulers.

Speaking on "Understanding Digital Switch Over: A New TV CultureÔÇØ, a staff of the Federal Information Center, Umuahia, Mrs. Gloria Abiakam highlighted the need for DSO from analogue transmission.

According to her, it would afford consumers wider variety of shows on multiple channels, better quality broadcast, reduced power/energy consumption, and more efficient broadcasting.