The official commissioning ceremony of Dandal Kura Radio took place recently in the Headquarters Multinational Joint Task Force (HQ MNJTF) complex, Ndjamena Republic of Chad.
In his welcome remarks the founder of the radio, Dr David Smith welcomed and appreciated everyone that worked hard in making the day possible. He also acknowledged friends and partners from Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC), Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) and the Centre for Coordination and Liaison (CCL). He said, For the first time in the history of radio in Africa and in the World, there is Kanuri and Kanembu voices on FM and Short Wave covering the entire Lake Chad Region.
He thanked the Managing Director of Dandal Kura Radio Maiduguri, Faruk Dalhatu and his team for a good job.
In his remarks during the ceremonial cutting of the tape, the Executive Secretary/Head of Mission (ES/HoM) LCBC, Engr Sanusi Imran Abdullahi stated: Today marks another milestone in the collective efforts of our governments to address challenges in the Lake Chad Basin. Dandal kura Radio is meant to communicate to our populace and Boko Haram Terrorists (BHT) with a view to making them surrender, de-radicalise them by using qualified experts in the domain of sensitisation and counter propaganda to address them”. Engr Sanusi used the occasion to thank all the partners for their continuous support in bringing peace to the region.
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In his own part, Mr Lawro Gondje, who represented the President of the High Council of Communication, Ndjamena acknowledged the initiator of the radio and the partners and stated that the radio is a tool and an object for the fight against BHT by the LCBC countries. It comes at a point in time when our nations came together to fight BHT”. He described Dandal Kura Radio as an instrument for the education and the development of young generations.
While making a remark, the Commander MNJTF, Major General Lucky Irabor appreciated those that made the establishment of Dandal Kura Radio possible. He went further to say that “the voice of peace is louder than the voice of violence”. He further stated “I believe Radio Dandal Kura will help to promote this. He added that the objective of the radio is to synchronise with that of the MNJTF. Gen Irabor also thanked the strategic partners for their support and reiterated that violence does not recognise race, tribe, colour or even boundaries. “If we do not work as a team to rout the menace of BHT, of course every one of us will be a victim”.
The event witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the ES/HoM Engr Sanusi and Lawro Gondje, representing the President of the High Council of Communication in Ndjamena Chad.
The ceremony was attended by government officials, members of the diplomatic corps, MNJTF family, representatives from the Centre for Coordination and Liaison (CCL) and the Media.
Mustapha Anka Colonel
Military Public Information Officer
