CSOs claim politics of 2023 responsible for plot to oust Kawu Modibbo from NBC

Coalition of Civil Society Organizations comprising of Competence Governance for Accountability and Civic Trust and Beyond Boundaries Legacies Leadership Initiative, have expressed worries that the politics of 2023 is linked to the plot to remove Modibbo Kawu, the Director General of National Broadcasting Commission (NBC). In a press statement released to the media, they accused what they referred as the “Self Acclaimed National Leader of the All Progressive Congress (APC), who claims to be the Jagaban of Nigerian politics” for being behind this plot because of his Presidential ambition in 2023.

“It might interest Nigerians to know that the current crisis rocking the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) over payment of 2.5 billion naira seed grant for Digital Switched Over (DSO) to Pinnacle Communication Ltd was not legal according to ICPC.

“We believe there’s more to all this, it is targeted to see the exit of Modibbo Kawu from NBC. The people responsible want to use their influence in the Presidency to nominate for a new DG that will be a loyalist to the core, someone who will do their bidding towards achieving a smooth media campaign/advert by 2022/2023. Since NBC is the supervising agency to all media house in Nigeria.

“They believe they can only achieve this through loyalists planted in ICPC. The first that took up the battle was the head of operation at ICPC, a certain Hakeem Lawal who is working on this project with Ade Ipaye, the Vice President’s Chief of Staff.
The new ICPC board is also headed by another Vice President’s loyalist and sidekick, Bolaji Owosonoye who is also linked to The Redeemed Church connection. They are all playing according to script giving to them by their master.

“The current leadership of ICPC has been hijacked and this is the major reason we are calling for total overhauling of the commission. The incompetence/error act of this current leadership of ICPC is geared towards 2023 ambition.

“ICPC is a commission that was established by the Federal Government to fight corruption. But today with this current leadership, reverse is the case simply because they are being used politically.

“ICPC really need to adopt code of conducts of high standard and ethics for their employees and have a solid compliance regime.

“The investigative unit of ICPC must operate lawfully and to follow due process as this is very critical to ensure their credibility and to build public trust.

“We are equally not unaware of the two committees that was set up by the Ministry of Justice to examine all the details of NBC, payment to Pinnacle Communication Ltd. The committee reached a verdict that there was no wrongdoing in the process and the payment and advised was issued to ICPC to step down the plan for indictment and carry out further investigation, including visits to the Pinnacle DSO project site, since no ICPC investigators have ever done so. Bolaji Owosonoye refused to acknowledge the letter.

“At this juncture, we the coalition of CSOs, are jointly issuing this press release signed by both the President of Competence Governance for Accountability and Civic Trust, Comrade Omoba Micheal and her Public Relation officer, Comrade Godwin Erheriene Oghenero, and the Executive Director of Beyond Boundaries Legacies Leadership Initiative, Comrade Omaga E. Daniel, to call the nation’s attention to the ICPC and how some of their people, planted by politicians, are being used for personal rather than national interest.”