Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, instead of apologizing for his wrong judgement after it was revealed that he pressed a cash-strapped Nigeria Broadcasting Corporation, NBC to extract N13.1m loan for an unnecessary China trip, is now fighting the NBC back, using friendly media.
The Nation for example today reported: “Minister of Information Lai Mohammed is battling a “corrupt cabal” at the National Broadcasting Commission.
“Mohammed has been the butt of smear campaign over a request for a loan of N13.1million from NBC for a five-man official delegation to China.
“It was gathered that the said deputy director was one of the corrupt members of the cabal in the system who could not come to terms with Mohammed’s reforms.
Some of the issues in NBC which had made Mohammed the target of the cabal include:
- The uncovering of duplication of payment vouchers of about N109million
- Non-approval of N66million for accommodation at a hotel in Lagos for a Commonwealth meeting
- Inflated invoice for the purchase of diesel at N195 per litre instead of N125 per litre
- Stoppage of business class travels for all directors and top officials
* Putting the names of those who have left NBC on payment schedule for some huge allowances
A top source, who spoke in confidence, said: “Since the Minister came on board, he has been fighting a corruption cabal in NBC and some of the 19 parastatals under his ministry.
“So, the leakage of the loan memo to NBC was a case of corruption fighting back. I think the Minister and his team are also underestimating the danger of what they are doing.
“The change they are bringing to the ministry and NBC, the workers are not used to it and they are resisting it.”
Nevertheless, the fact remains that, Mohammed pushed and got N13.1m from a corporation that has not got its 2016 for a China trip that is at the moment not necessary or one that can wait, even if one concedes that it is expedient.
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