A high-velocity windstorm has on Friday uprooted the antenna of Niumi FM Radio Station, the only community radio station in North Bank Region.
The windstorm swept through the premises of the radio station in Essau, North Bank Region (NBR), and its surrounding compounds, while the uprooting of the antenna disrupts power supply in the area.
The storm, with a wind speed exceeding 60 kmph, was accompanied by a downpour. Trees were uprooted with falling fences and damaging compounds in some places in the region.
Some residents complained that the power supplied to many in the vicinities remained disrupted for nearly sixteen (16) hours.
In the morning, villagers were seen clearing roads from the uprooted trees and branches.
On his part Ousman A. Marong, General Manager, Niumi FM when contacted to shed light on the extent of the damage caused by the windstorm said: “This was a test on us (Niumi FM), such natural phenomenon from God cannot be questioned by any one of us. These are our trying times and I want to believe that God is testing our faith. We have been hit hard for the past two months either by a bolt of lightning or windstorm. In God, we trust, and ‘In Shaa Allah’ the Highest will safe me together with my staff in these our trying moments. This is the third time that we are forced by nature to go off the air,” he said.
Marong narrated that their first time to go of air was caused by a bolt of the lightning strike which broken the radio’s signal.
He therefore called on the NGOs and philanthropists to come to their aid. He added that this radio station is the only rural commercial radio station doing the much-needed radio sensitization on current happenings.
“We are in a year of election and rural radio stations have a vital role to play in which our radio station is not left behind in the crusade,” he said.
