‘EFCC’s untidy trial of Mba will derail NBC digital switchover’

The Directorate of iREP Documentary Film Forum, a group of stakeholders in the Nigerian broadcasting circle, says the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) may derail Nigeria’s 2017 digital switchover with its investigation of Emeka Mba, director-general of the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC).

The group, which claimed to be in the know of the dealings for which Mba was arrested, said the money in question was safe in a bank, where it is being used as collateral for the digital switchover.

The group added that the untidy manner with which the EFCC is handling the case may further threaten development in the sector, and defeat the 2017 deadline for the switchover.

“We note that the investigation into the case is being conducted in such an untidy manner, albeit through the media, which expectedly has consistently misrepresented the issues at stake,” the group said.

“In the process, the sanctity of facts has been compromised, and the public is being fed with half-truths and false impressions.

“Our main interest in this matter is to ensure that the integrity of the process that would lead to the proposed full migration of the broadcast industry to the digital platform is not compromised by this curious case of ‘fraud’ involving the NBC boss.

“We are worried that the scheduled transition to digital transmission, to which the ongoing case against the DG is tied, may eventually be derailed – once again. The 2017 deadline set to realise the transition may be missed for obvious but avoidable reasons.

“We wish to note that Nigeria, in the past, had missed two deadlines – 2012 and 2015 – that were set for the full transition to digital transmission. We are afraid that the ongoing case may also make us miss the 2017 deadline.”

Mba was arrested for his alleged failure to remit the commission’s funds into the Treasure Single Account (TSA), and for an allegedly missing N15 billion.

Lauding the anti-corruption drive of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration, iRep said much more was left to be desired.

The group said its investigations revealed that no money was missing, saying: “The so-called missing money is securely placed in a bank as collateral for an ongoing project of the commission.

“The placement of the said money in the commercial bank was done before the TSA policy of the federal government came into effect.

“Upon introduction of the TSA policy, the management of the NBC began the process of returning the money into the Central Bank vault as required.

“As a matter of fact, every and all amounts leftover in the MTN Lease fees was transferred to the TSA, following introduction of the policy.

“The management of the NBC indeed wrote a letter to office of the president to notify him of its action concerning the TSA operation.”

The Association of the Licensed Set Top Box Manufacturers of Nigeria (STBMAN) confirmed that they were in the know of the said money, which is being used as collateral in the set switchover.

In a statement co-signed by Ilemakin Soyinka, Femi Odugbemi and Jahman Anikulapo, the group urged “EFCC to clarify rather than befuddle the case against Mr. Mba, by stopping the Media trial which gives the wrong impression”.

“If there are other issues for which Mr. Mba is being tried, other than those relating to administrative matters stated above, this should be made clear to the public and the seriousness of any potential crime be defined as a justification for the long-winded nature of interrogation and long spell of detention to which he has been subjected for some time now.”

According to iRep, the switchover offers immediate expansion in job creation in the broadcast industry, increase in revenues derivable from broadcast operations, improved content creation, and expansion in small scale industries that serve the bigger creative industries like Nollywood.

“With over 37 million television sets in Nigerian homes, the economy of television broadcasting in Nigeria would be worth billions of Naira. The projected earnings from subscriptions to programming alone will run into billions of Naira.”