CHAPTER ONE
Introduction
1.1 Background of the Study
Human beings as social animals have always been embroiled in temporary and continuous disputes and fracas collectively called conflicts since time immemorial. This come in the form of individuals against individuals, families against families, kingdoms against kingdoms, and more contemporary, countries against countries. Boulding, K. (1989).
According to Pruitt and Robbins, (2002). Conflict can be defined as “The perceiveddivergence of interest, or a belief that the party‟s current aspirations cannot be achieved simultaneously from gradual interactions between the parties. They are ultimately a direct result of the given relationships and interactions between species, will in one way or another breed friction and discontent thereby, giving rise to perceived injustice and the attendant frictions and agitations. Bercovitch, J. (2002).
However,the need to be recognized as a member of a unit is such a functional social factor, that any attempt or perceived attempt to undo or ridicule the natural statutes, breeds divergent and friction thereby gradually heating up the system to a toxic edge. Wilson,K.(1988).
Thus, minimizing this friction has become imperative as it has seldom proved impossible to eliminate. This redemption notion has given birth to the theory of “ConflictResolution‟‟ a brain child of the need for stakeholders to work out a route of any conflict.
Brief History ofEnugu StateBroadcasting Service [ESBS]
Enugu State Broadcasting Servicescomprises ofradio and television outfit. It has been in existence since independence in the Eastern part of Nigeria since 1960. Enugu State Broadcasting Service was formally known as Eastern Nigeria Broadcasting Corporation [ENBC]. Eastern Nigeria Broadcasting Corporation television consisted of a two camera studio and control room, television with a 100 Watts television transmitter.
During the Nigeria Civil War, ENBC was known as Radio Biafran. The challenges of the war put the ability and technology to the acid test. The corporation retained its name as Eastern Nigeria Broadcasting Corporation till the end of the Nigeria Civil War in 1970. It was later re-called, East Central State Broadcasting Service [ECBS], to reflect its ownership by the news which was carved out from the Eastern region.
But with the creation of new Anambra and Enugu State in 1991, and the subsequent disengagement of the staff on March 16,1992, the Anambra Broadcasting Service Enugu Awka and Enugu State Broadcasting Services [ESBS]. Mr. Peter Prouman was its first director general.Enugu State Broadcasting Service was established for effective information dissemination in all parts of the state. It was to bridge the information gap between the government and the governed from rural to urban areasin order to stimulate interest between government and rural folks.It is in the light of the above that the study is designed to measure the “The Role of Enugu State Broadcasting Service in Conflict Resolution.