As a proud and satisfied beneficiary of the Digital Switch Over (DSO) from analogue television broadcasts that finally commenced in 2016 following application of the Buhari change agenda on the twice postponed and later abandoned project, I had high expectations of smooth attainment of national coverage without hitches.
The gradual expansion from Abuja to Kaduna, to Ilorin and Enugu was a vindication of the commitment and capacity of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) and the licensed signal distributors in putting Nigeria on the world stage of digital broadcasting.
The quality and number of channels was a welcome development.It was therefore very disheartening to hear that the ICPC was investigating the NBC for alleged wrong payment of N2.5 billion to one of the signal distributors, Pinnacle Communications Limited.
The matter took on a worst turn when it became clear that the ICPC investigation was not professionally conducted but simply railroaded by petition of disgruntled contractors who failed to qualify for the DSO implementation project.
The type of errors and other flaws exposed in the ICPC press release on the investigation was utterly ridiculous and gave ICPC a poor public perception. The Commission could not even explain itself despite the gravity of the matter.Now the matter is being raked up again by the same ICPC according to reports stating that charges have been filed against NBC and Pinnacle executives.
My concern is that very unusually the Information Minister Lai Mohammed has remained silent and unconcerned about a major project under his ministry being systematically sabotaged and his involvement as contained in the ICPC statement. If Lai Mohammed can be super active in commenting on everthing under the sun as government spokesperson how come he becomes dumb and evasive on an issue directly under his watch and a flagship project of the Buhari administration for the matter?
Why has not bothered to clarify the situation in the true principle of transparency and accountability especially when he is portrayed to be on the side of the misinformed ICPC. Lai Mohammed should therefore be heard very soon on this matter with a view to giving his own side of the story and also ensuring that the larger interest of the Nigerians otherwise President Buhari will need a new minister of information.
Mrs Bilkisu Abdulkadir writes from Jos.
