Panel Asks Radio Station to Restore Islamic Programmes

The Judicial Commission of Inquiry investigating last year's Jos civil disturbances has requested the Plateau State Radio and Television Corporation to restore Islamic programmes removed from the station's programme schedule after the clashes.

The Chairman of the commission, Justice Niki Tobi, said in Jos on Monday that the request had become necessary due to numerous complaints reaching the panel, alleging the refusal of the station to air Islamic programmes.

He explained that though the matter was before the panel, there was the need to "right the wrong" immediately on the issue instead of waiting until the end of the commission's sitting.

Tobi said the management of the station had agreed to honour the request and stated that he would tune to the station on Friday to see if it would keep to its promise.

Responding on behalf of the Muslim community in Jos, Mr. Hassan Liman, thanked the commission for his concern over the matter.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the alleged non-coverage of Islamic activities by the corporation is one of the numerous contentious issues before the commission.

Meanwhile, the state branch of the National Council of Muslim Youths Organisation of Nigeria has appealed to the commission to prevail on the authorities of Government College and Federal Government College, Jos, to allow the organisation to re-construct mosques destroyed in those schools.

The Administrative Secretary of the organisation, Malam Sani Suleiman, who made the appeal while presenting the organisation's memorandum on Monday, said the authorities of the schools had refused to oblige to the matter.

He expressed concern that unless something was done, Muslim students in those schools would have nowhere to say their prayers during the rainy season.

Responding, Tobi said such matters would be handled collectively in the course of the commission's assignment.