Representatives of the Nigeria Television Authority, NTA, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, FRCN, and Voice of Nigeria, VON, have appeared before the House of Representatives Committee on Public Assets, which is conducting an investigation into the management of assets in the establishments.
Chairman, House Committee on Public Assets, Ademorin Kuye said the investigative hearing is in line with the mandate of the committee.
In an interface with the Director General of FRCN, Dr Mohammed Bulama, the committee expressed concern over the inability of the agency to provide necessary information regarding the number of its assets, measures put up to ensure maintenance and upkeep of the assets, PPP arrangement and concessions, income generated from leased assets in recent times and evidence of remittance to the Treasury Single Account, TSA.
However, the FRCN DG, Bulama, lamented that lack of proper record keeping was responsible for his inability to comply with the committee’s requests.
Bulama noted that he was appointed in November 2023 as DG FRCN and has set up a committee to come up with the relevant documents and information regarding the assets and other issues. He promised to furnish the House Committee with the relevant details once his committee submits the report.
Similarly, the delegation from NTA led by Director, Administration and Training, Nansel Nimyel said the agency has about 100 stations and has sent memos in respect of the documents and information requested by the House Committee on Public Assets.
In the same vein, the VON was mandated to come up with the clear details regarding the state of assets and PPPs arrangement in the organisation.
The committee said improper management and maintenance of public assets is a major challenge facing infrastructure development in the country, hence the committee’s investigative hearing on public assets.
Kuye called on NTA, FRCN, VON and other media organisations to join in the campaign against poor record keeping and improper management of public assets.
The committee directed NTA, FRCN and VON to submit the relevant documents within three weeks. The committee also directed the DGs of the organisations to appear on 25th June, 2024 for further hearing.
