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How moves by S’African broadcasting firm to scuttle digital switch-over in Nigeria failed

NBC

…Stakeholders urge Osinbajo to caution ICPC, prevent distraction of laudable process
A South African broadcasting firm, (name withheld) in conjunction with its Nigerian subsidiary has once again failed in its bid to throw spanner in the works of the smooth migration of the country from analogue television to digital broadcasting.

Sources revealed that although this foreign firm did not take part in the competitive bid, it tried to join the process through the backdoor, a move vehemently rejected by the Director-General of National Broadcasting Commission, Mallam Is’haq Modibbo Kawu.

Not done yet, officials of this South African broadcasting company are allegedly collaborating with a serving General in a top Government Security office as well as a top administrative functionary in the Aso Villa pursuing a personal agenda.

The said company and these powerful collaborators are said to using a select few top officials of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

Their onslaught culminated in the raging media report of alleged fraud in the award of the Federal Government’s Digital Switch-Over (DSO) project which is seen as a deliberate attempt targeted at tarnishing the good reputation of the director-general of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Mallam Is’haq Modibbo Kawu.

Officials of Pinnacle Communications Limited also distanced the company from any wrongdoing and fraud, so also has the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC).

What has continued to baffle stakeholders is how the officials of the South African broadcasting company tried albeit unsuccessfully to use the ICPC to scuttle the hitherto smooth process of the digital switchover.

They urged Vice President Yemi Osibanjo (under whose watch the ICPC is) to call the ICPC to order so as not to distract the laudable process.

The Daily Times recalls that those behind the fraud allegation are said to be intimidated by Kawu, whose profile has been on a steady rise on account of his superlative performance.

The ICPC story has it that the NBC boss, at the beginning, recommended a private company, Pinnacle Communications Limited, to the Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, to be awarded the contract of the DSO as well as the release of N2.5billion contract sum.

The ICPC report had also alleged that Pinnacle Communications was not qualified to handle the project, which is being spearheaded by the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture.

The irony is how did a company that ICPC considers not qualified to do the job win a competitive bid conducted in 2014 by the then Director-General of the NBC, Mr. Emeka Mba. ICPC is said to be deliberately peddling falsehoods by heaping blames on Modibbo Kawu when it is clear that the Presidency and Minister, Lai Mohammed, approved the payment.

Our source further revealed that the Presidency had in 2016 released N10bn to the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture to implement the digital switch-over programme in line with the White Paper that was issued.

It would be recalled that the project is being specifically handled by two firms – Pinnacle Communications and ITS, an affiliate of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA).

Another source who spoke in confidence said “monies were released to these two companies by the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture on the orders of the Presidency in line with all due process.”

The source absolved Kawu and Pinnacle Communications of any wrongdoing, insisting that the alleged fraud story was sponsored by an aggrieved rival company that seems to be losing out with the success of the DSO.

But the NBC in a swift reaction to the allegation said it was not aware of any investigation being carried out by the ICPC on its director-general, Mallam Kawu.

The commission’s spokesperson, Hajia MaimunaJimada, said the NBC “is not aware of any fraud case involving the DG, and therefore not aware of any ICPC investigation on the DG.”

Jimada said the commission had been carrying out the digital switch-over scheme with utmost diligence and transparency, and would continue to do that till the project is completed across the country.

The Daily Times recalls that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo inaugurated the Abuja project while that of Kaduna was done by Governor Nasir el-Rufai.

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Ihesiulo Grace

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