President Muhammadu Buhari has suspended the DG, National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Modibo Kawu with immediate effect.
Control TV confirmed this from the commissions spokesman Antia Ekanem who in a phone conversation late yesterday night said the news was not fully confirmed. Mr. Ekanem however called in just before midnight to confirm the suspension of the Director General. He made no further comments.
Mr. Kawu has been in a running battle over missappropriation 2.5 billion naira, funds meant for the digital switch over from manual to digital broadcasting
The ICPC in September last year urged the federal government to suspend the Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Ishaq Modibbo Kawu, and 32 other public officers/civil servants undergoing corruption trial pending the conclusion of the cases.
The Independent Corrupt Practices Commission also asked the government to, in line with the Public Service Rules, mete out appropriate punishment(s) to other civil servants already convicted for various offences.
Case against NBC Director-General
The anti-graft agency said it is prosecuting Mr Kawu for “using (his) position to confer corruption advantage.”
Earlier reports I dictate that the Commission on May 2 2019 arraigned Mr Kawu and two others, Dipo Onifade and Lucky Omoluwa, over alleged N2.5 billion fraud in relation to the switch over funds approval.
The trio, who are being prosecuted on 12-count charges, allegedly conspired with each others to use the position of Mr Kawu to confer corrupt advantage on Mr Omoluwa, his friend and associate.
The accused allegedly recommended to the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, to approve payment of N2.5 billion to Pinnacle Communications Ltd owned by Mr Omoluwa as “Seed Grant” under the Digital Switch-Over Programme of the federal government.
Referring to Mr Kawu, the charge sheet said he made the recommendation to the minister “when you knew that the same company was not entitled to receive such grant thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 26 (1c) and punishable under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.”
However, the court granted Mr Kawu and his co-defendants bail the same day after they pleaded not guilty to all the charges through their counsel.
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(C) Control TV 2020
