Over sale of broadcast spectrum to GSM firm

By Soni Daniel & Emmanuel Elebeke

ABUJA— The Director General of the National Broadcast Commission, NBC, Mr. Emeka Mba, was yesterday, arrested by the operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, over suspicion that the commission under him made the Federal Government to lose huge funds.

It was alleged that the commission under Mba illegally sold a public broadcasting spectrum worth N34 billion to one of the telecoms companies and the amount was not properly accounted for.

Stakeholders alleged that the sale did not follow due process and was not transparent as it gave an edge to a company, which is a major GSM player in Nigeria.

Besides, the name of the commission is said to have featured frequently in the ongoing investigation by the EFCC into the mismanagement of the $2.1 billion meant for the purchase of arms for the Nigerian Army by the ONSA.

It was gathered that the commission aided and abetted one of the suspects in Dasukigate to secure a major job because of his closeness to the last administration.

NBC is said to have also stood guaranty for the said company to secure the acquisition of digital broadcast facilities ahead of other Nigerian stations and secret award of contracts without following due process to the chagrin of the government.

The commission, it was also gathered, did not fully comply with the directive of the Buhari administration to close its accounts and revert to the Treasury Single Account, TSA, domiciled with the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.

Based on the discovery of wrongdoings, operatives of the commission, last week, swooped on the NBC headquarters in Abuja to arrest Mba but did not meet him. They left a note for him to report to their office in Wuse 2 but took along the Deputy Director of Finance and Accounts and some files relating to some financial transactions.

EFCC sources said, yesterday, that Mba had been under investigation for about a month but did not say why he was picked up.

Mba, Vanguard learnt, reported to the EFCC head office around 10 am, yesterday, and was immediately taken in by his interrogators, who asked questions on many transactions now being investigated by the agency.

At press time, it was still unclear when he would be released by the agency.

A senior official in the NBC said last night that they did not know why the DG was invited by the EFCC barely two days after a deputy director was questioned and some files taken away by the operatives, who visited the office.

The officer said: “‘The EFCC came back to NBC on Friday after their first visit on Monday but I do not know the details of what they came for but I am aware that it was not unconnected with the ongoing arms cash investigation.

“When they came, they went straight to see our DG, who was not around but they dropped a message for him that he was wanted in EFCC office. Today, I have been trying to get information about the whereabouts of the DG because he is not in the office now.

“I don’t know the details of the matter. I suspect t that the EFCC might have resorted to interrogate the DG because they felt that person they met last week didn’t have the right information they are looking for.

“I have been trying to find out from the guy in the DG’s office but  I am aware the investigation has to do with somebody in the past government.

“The office has been very quiet since morning. Like I told you, they are still investigating the financial transaction they saw in the account of the company they are investigating in connection with Dasukigate.”