This is an excerpt of a brief interview
with the acting Director General of the Federal Radio Corporation of
Nigeria, FRCN, Samson Shaibu (SS). He is still in office even though he,
by civil service rules, should have retired after turning 60.
PREMIUM TIMES (PT): You are
supposed to retire on June 22, yet you have approval from the Minister
of Information to travel to Ireland to represent the country on July 22.
Why is that the case?
SS: It is so because I
have finished my retirement from service, but I am now acting DG, and
that is political appointment. And the antecedents are these. The former
DG who left before me was brought from retirement. Eddie Iroh was
brought from retirement, and then Kevin Ejiofor was brought from
retirement. The DG’s position is a political appointment. So, people are
just being mischievous saying what they are saying. There are
antecedents. But, my former career as a civil servant has expired. And I
am acting DG, and there are antecedents. You know if you want to go
emotional, the former man who finished before me was Hausa-Fulani. He
was brought from retirement to serve as DG. Are there two rules in
Nigeria – one for the minority and one for the Hausa-Fulani? There was
an Igbo man, who was brought from retirement too (Kevin Ejiofor) and
Eddie Iro. So, people are just talking about what they don’t understand.
For further information, the assignment I
am going is funded by Chinese Government and not by Federal Government.
So, people are just talking from half information.
PT: The recent fire incident in the studio at the corporation, how was it handled? Any report of the probe?
SS:
The fire incident was teleguided by detractors who feel they should
create a crisis situation for somebody they feel is not a team player.
For your information, I am not a team player in corruption. I am acting
DG for three months now, and if you ask the workforce, they would tell
you there is an added difference. Within these three months, I have
bought a bus for FRCN. Within these three months, 22 studios that were
conduit pipes for corruption in FRCN have been resuscitated, and there
is light there now. And if I have opportunity of meeting with you, I
will give you a catalogue of achievements. This has not happened for the
past 15 years. But, people who are corrupt in our system would not like
to see the likes of me. For example, there are people being teleguided
from the Legal Department and Admin who are beneficiaries of corruption
in the system.
PT: There is an allegation that you don’t carry everyone along, particularly on issues of staff welfare?
SS: As a journalist, if you can please
ask the workforce, through independent investigation, the people who
ruled before me, who were carrying people along, what did they do? In
these three months time of my tenureship, I have paid more T&B
(travelling and basic tours allowance) than any other person in the last
two years. Records are there for all to see.
PT:
It is said that you employed over 125 people and ignored the people
employed in 2012, yet there are no offices and tools for them to work
with?
SS: That employment was
done by the previous regime that I inherited. The former DG, Barrister
Yusuf Nuhu is the one who employed people, and that employment, to be
fair to him, I don’t want to condemn my predecessors, was a collective
decision of management. I have not employed a single person since I
came.
The former DG employed, I don’t know the
specific figure. That is what I inherited. So, people are just peddling
this. These are people who believe they must rule FRCN forever. And
Nigeria is a country of six geo-political zones. I am saying this, not
as a slight to any tribe, because I know that Nigeria is a partnership
of six geo-political zones. Nigeria is not owned by Hausa-Fulani,
neither is it owned by Igbo or Yoruba. It is owned by all Nigerians.
There six geo-political zones in this country. The Hausa-Fulani has
serially ruled FRCN, or ruined FRCN all these years. Thank you very
much.
No comments:
Post a Comment