Senate queries NTA DG over N1.8b indebtedness on COVID-19 adverts
By Tunde Opalana
Frowns at 11-year non-profitable venture with Startimes
The Senate has drilled the Director General of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) , Yakubu Ibn Mohammed, over what was described as unsatisfactory submissions on the operational and revenue drive of the management under his leadership.
The Director General came under fire again, when the Senate’s joint committee on Finance and National Planning, during an interactive session was asked to submit details of debtors owing NTA N1.8billion.
In his response, Ibn Mohammed said the Indebtedness was purely from COVID-19 adverts which have not been paid for, despite presentations to that effect to the appropriate authorities.
A member of the committee, Senator Ayo Akinyelure kicked against his submission on the grounds that the National Assembly earmarked money for publicity on COVID-19 out of the N500billion appropriated as intervention fund.
Taking the DG up, Akinyelure said, “this Senate and by extension, the National Assembly provided money for publicity out of the N500billion intervention fund appropriated.
Therefore your submission that NTA has not been paid any money in that respect is unacceptable.” C o n s e q u e n t l y the Chairman of the Committee, Senator Adeola , ordered the DG to come with documents on presentations made for payment of the N1.8billion on Tuesday, Daily Times gathered.
Adeola said : “NTA based on appearances and submissions made by its DG to this committee last week Friday and today , is an exceptional institution that has serious challenges in balancing its accounts books despite being funded with N10million on yearly basis by the Nigerian government.
Trouble was not over for the Director General as he was particularly asked to shed light on the joint venture between NTA Startimes for the past eleven years without any profit.
The DG told the committee members that no money has been realised from the joint operational venture it entered into with Startimes since 2008.“
As an Executive Director in 2009 in NTA, not a single kobo was made from the joint venture with Startimes, the same situation I met in 2016 when I returned as DG.
“In fact , on assumption of office as DG , that was the first question I asked , upon which records of nonprofitability was presented by the NTA subsidiary outfit running it.
“The non- profitability status of the venture remains till today “,he said.
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Chairman of the Committee, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola ( APC Lagos West), asked the NTA DG, “ Mr DG are you telling this committee that for solid eleven years ,the joint venture agreement NTA had with Startimes has not yielded any profit despite using your facilities for over one million subscribers.
“This is completely unfair to Nigeria . Something is cooking. You must come with the MD of your subsidiary unit overseeing the contractual and operational agreement”, he said.
Another member of the committee , Senator Danladi Sankara ( APC Jigawa North West), in his contribution, described the venture as fraudulent since according him, Startimes did not register with the National Broadcasting Commission ( NBC).
