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Lai Mohammed, the minister of Information and Culture has announced the sack of chief executives of Nigerian Television Authority, NTA, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, FRCN, Voice of Nigeria, VON, News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, Nigerian Broadcasting Commission, NBC and the National Orientation Agency, NOA. Mohammed announced this on Monday during a meeting with the executives. The minister directed the disengaged helmsmen to hand over to the most senior officials in their various establishments. He thanked them for their service to the nation and wished them the best of luck in their future endeavours. The affected chief executives are the Sola Omole, Ladan Salihu, Sam Worlu, Mike Omeri, Emeka Mba, Ima Niboro, directors-general of NTA, FRCN, VON, NOA, NBC respectively as well as Ima Niboro, the managing director of NAN.
There had been indications since November that the officials could soon be fired, after the minister in a meeting, complained of their “outright unprofessional conduct”. Muhammed expressed deep dissatisfaction with the quality of their programmes. “ Why have you all chosen to play second fiddle in the country’s media landscape? I ask because the NTA and FRCN of yesterday are not the same as what we have today,” the minister had said. “There is no denying the fact that the private radio and TV stations are doing much better, at least going by the fact that most Nigerians prefer them to the public broadcasters”, he added.
However, Niboro thanked President Buhari and the minister for the opportunity of serving the administration for the past eight months. “Some of us knew the pressure under which the government had been to remove us. So our removal this morning is understandable. “I especially thank the minister for the gentlemanly manner he handled the whole matter. We are grateful and will continue to hold him in high esteem,” he said.
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