• To be quizzed by EFCC
Sacked Director General of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Mr. Sola Omole is to be quizzed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on his role in diverting expensive equipment of the agency to float his private station, our sources disclosed to us.
Just as Senator Ben Bruce who was a Director General of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) allegedly siphoned the station’s fund and bolted away with expensive equipment leaving them with analogue equipment to float Silverbird Television and Rhythm FM, DG, Mr Sola Omole has also towed the same line.
It will be recalled that on September, 2015, there were reports where the NTA DG was accused by staff of the station of diverting two new Outside Broadcast (OB) Vans, digital cameras, new multiple Teradek Bolt Pro 600 Wireless HD-SDI/HDMI Wireless Dual format Transmitters & Receiver Sets and filming drones. Latest revelations corroborates the details of that report alleging that the former NTA DG has diverted the station’s equipment worth millions of naira.
Sources within Nigerian Television Authority are accusing Omole of removing new equipment including two new OB Vans. The OB Vans and other broadcasting equipment including digital cameras, new multiple Teradek Bolt Pro 600 Wireless HD-SDI/HDMI Wireless Dual format Transmitters & Receiver Sets and filming drones can no longer be found.
The equipment were purchased at the request of the sacked DG and delivered to NTA in the period leading up to 2015 Elections. He is said to launch his own new Private Television Station following his dismissal from NTA. He is to take in the footstep of a former NTA DG Ben Bruce. Sola Omole and others were hurriedly but secretly granted Radio and TV licence by former President Goodluck Jonathan alleged a source.
The missing equipment are said to be part of Omole’s new private venture. A broadcast Journalist and social commentator, kayode ogundamisi fumed at the criminal act while detailing the fraud.
During the days of former governor Godswill Akpabio, Omole turned Akwa Ibom to his state where he visits regularly, sleep in choice hotels and return with loads of money from Akpabio. Omole turned NTA to Akpabio’s personal station where the former governor could influence decisions and also knows what is to be aired about his state.
Competent sources revealed that Omole came into NTA after retiring from Chevron, in USA. The report has it that, someday, he was playing golf in USA when his phone rang and it was a Nigerian number. The caller was the former Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan, Mr Doyin okupe.
He told him to come to Nigeria to take up the appointment as he has nominated him. That was how Omole found his way to head the broadcast station, and had since used his former position as DG to divert funds and equipment meant for the Nigerian Television Authority.
Some of the staff were wondering why he was still there instead of being sacked long before now for turning NTA into a political tool against President Muhammadu Buhari during the election.
