By Suleiman Adamu, Sokoto
Reactions over the recent closure of the Voice of America (VOA) radio station’s English and Hausa services have continued to set in from residents across especially ardent listeners of the services in the northern part of Nigeria.
Besides, Sokoto state is one of the states in northern Nigeria with large listenership percentage of the radio station’s hausa service news and programmes.
Listeners from across communities in the caliphate persistently reacted since the suspension of the station by the US President , Donald Trump a few days ago.
An average northerner never kept distance from his or her transistor radio
for news and programmes aired in their local language of Hausa by foreign radio stations including VOA.
Both men and women listeners have formed the hardcore loyality habit for patronising all foreign stations Hausa service at any point in time be it on the farm, street, market places , offices , homes.
A cross section of habitual listeners say the station has been a wonderful source of news and information on happenings in and around the country and world with educative and informative news on developments.
Malam Musa Malami said it’s unfortunate that we have lost a lot in the last few days of the suspension of VOA which has been a primary source of getting updates on both national and international happenings that affected human and environmental activities on developments.
He named : security, economic , political , health, agricultural and educational issues were key updates that redefine our hope which the station aired to provide solutions as well build a link between us and the outside world.
” I can cite example with the station’s usual hausa programme ” A bari ya huce, tsaka Mai wuya, ciki da gaskiya , manuniya, dan iyalan ku’ ‘ among many other educative programmes.
Also, lamenting over the closure, Hajiya Inno Wurno said ” I am not happy with the Trump’s action on VOA . I am a consistent lister of my favourite programme” Don iyalan ku'” and ” Baki mai yanka wuya” anchored by our own son of the soil, Murtala Faruk Sanyinna.
” My prayer is Trump will see reasons with us who have always promoted the station as good listeners and friends to their services to rescind his decision”, she appealed.
Meanwhile , many others have continued to express concerns over the suspension of the radio station by president Trump.
