Yemisi Izuora
The Federal Government has been commended for
the suspension of the Director General, (DG) Nigerian Broadcasting
Commission, Dr. Modibbo Kawu.
In a statement on Monday, foremost anti-corruption group, Human and
Environmental Development Agenda, (HEDA Resource Centre) however said
the suspension can not substitute for the outcome of the probe of the
N2.5billion said to have been mismanaged by the NBC.
Last year, HEDA launched campaign for the investigation of the
N2.5billion belonging to the commission. The funds were said to have
either been mismanaged or stolen by some officials.
HEDA said the suspension will further assist the Independent Corrupt
Practices and other related offences Commission, (ICPC), which the
anti-corruption group had asked to investigate the sleaze.
“We welcome the suspension of the NBC DG, Dr. Moddibo Kawu. This is a
step forward but it is not enough. There is the need to probe the
controversial N2.5billion believed to have been mismanaged by certain
individuals in NBC. It is a good thing the FGN has taken a decision by
suspending the DG, but the public is interested in what happens to the
N2.5 billion”, HEDA Chairman Mr. Olanrewaju Suraju said in a statement
he signed.
The group said it was delighted that President Buhari invoked Rule
030406 in the suspension of the NBC DG, saying the rule also applies to
erring officials of the Federal Civil Service Commission or the
Permanent Secretary/Head of Extra-Ministerial Office which shall
forthwith suspend an official from the exercise of official powers and
functions and from the enjoyment of associated emoluments.
Suraju said HEDA would continue to pursue the myth surrounding the
N2.5billion until the funds, if stolen, are recovered and ploughed back
into the system to be utilized effectively.
In a petition calling for the suspension of the NBC DG last year, HEDA
had stated that ” the investigation carried out by the Independent
Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission which led to the
eventual prosecution of the Director-General was properly investigated
and established a prima facie case before prosecuting same. It is
important to note that our organisation believes in presumption of
innocence and basis for our request is premised on the allegations and
the investigation of the ICPC as ground for the serious misconduct to
warrant immediate suspension.”
The trio, Director General of the National Broadcasting Commission
(NBC), Ishaq Moddibbo Kawu, alongside the Chairman of Pinnacle
Communications Limited, Mr. Lucky Omoluwa and the Chief Operating
Officer of the same company, Mr. Dipo Onifade were arraigned on May 2,
2019 before Justice Folashade Ogunbanjo-Giwa of the Federal High Court,
Abuja in a 12-count charge bordering on the abuse of office, money
laundering and misleading of a public officer with the intent to defraud
the federal government, in contravention of Section 26 (1) (c) of the
Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and punishable
under Section 19 of the same law.
HEDA said the suspension of the NBC boss was an indication that the
Federal Government listens to public outcries on corruption, adding that
the country will make economic progress if corruption can be fought
decisively by governments at all tiers.
The presidency in 2016 had released N10 billion to the Ministry of
Information and Culture for the digital switch-over programme which
entailed the migration from analogue to digital platforms. A White
Paper was issued directing that the process be specifically handled by
government-affiliated companies. Based on the guidelines, two companies
were nominated to handle the process, one of which was ITS, an affiliate
of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA). N1.7 billion was released as
seed grant for the commencement of the switch-over. However, ICPC
through investigation discovered that the process was fraught with
alleged corrupt practices.
