Yesterday, 17th January, I went to the EFCC headquarters in Abuja during the visiting hours to see the detained Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission.
In an earlier post, I had vehemently stated that I stand with Emeka Mba whom I have known for many years as a fine gentleman and very professional technocrat. Now, I am not the only one in the broadcast and entertainment industry who feels that way. Almost everyone in these sectors are shocked and upset at what is happening to a man who professionally has turned around sectors of our industry over the years through his astuteness and dedication to duty.
I got to the EFCC at about noon and saw a couple of people also waiting to see the DG. Amongst them were professional broadcasters and his wife. I was introduced to his wife who looked distressed and tired.
‘My brother, thank you for coming. Please what did they say my husband did? Yes, my husband. The Emeka you know. What did they say he did?’ I knew she was psychologically distressed. If anything, it’s not Emeka Mba whom should be detained or arrested. Not Emeka. Emeka is the epitome of forthrightness.
‘Madam, what they say does not matter.’ I replied. ‘ What matters is the man you know. The man I know. The man many of us know. We know he’s not guilty of the accusations. We stake our honour on it. So please be strong’
She replied ‘ I’m strong. I’m just disillusioned. This man who served this country with all his heart. All through the years, I can count the number of times his kids see him home early after work. Always a hard worker. Always giving his all to his assignments. How can they just lock him up like that? Even after he has explained everything, showed them all documents, everything to prove his innocence? Even after many people, both in Nigeria and from abroad, have come here to vehemently say this man is innocent of these charges? Why are they still detaining him?’
I and a friend comforted her.
A couple of hours later, the security operatives at EFCC allowed me and a couple of others to see him during the visiting hours. Now, I must say this of EFCC. They have fantastic gentleman in their employment who are very friendly and professional. The atmosphere there does not intimidate but is friendly to visitors, from the security operatives to the main officers.
Emeka was brought out, dressed in a T-shirt and slacks. He saw me and gaped.
‘Ah, Ah. Charles! This is a surprise. How are you?’ He exclaimed. He was obviously in high spirits and his psyche and usual boisterousness has not been dampened by his ordeal.
I gave him words of encouragement. ‘ Oga, I came here not only to visit you but to assure you that your friends in the industry, the broadcast and entertainment industry stand by you all through this. We are rooting for you. We are mobilising for you to be released and acquitted of these charges. We know you. We know who you are and we believe in you. You have not been abandoned. So be strong’
He was touched. Openly touched.
‘Thank you, Charles. I appreciate this’ he replied.
‘ How have they been treating you?’ I asked
‘Well… these guys are ok. I’m their ‘visitor’ and we have been talking’ he joked. We all laughed. The EFCC operative who was with him there laughed the more and said;
‘ Na wah o. Since I started working here I have never seen the calibre of visitors this man has received. Everyday, powerful people especially from the broadcast and entertainment sector. Powerful people. It’s amazing’
I replied ‘ That should tell you that this man is one of us. This man does not deserve this. We know you have to do your job but this man here is an asset to this country.’
Emeka kept smiling as he looked down to the floor, contemplatively.
A few other female staff of NBC came visiting and immediately they saw their DG in casuals, their eyes welled up. Emeka comforted them with his words and told them not to cry. Even us, the guys there were finding it hard not to shed a tear or two. Emeka doesn’t deserve this.
We all did our best to cheer him up and discussed generally about the country and other matters. He laughed at some of our banter. And then someone asked him a crunch question. What would he do after this?
He replied stubbornly and defiantly. ‘ I’m tired. Very tired. I don’t play with my honour and integrity. I will leave. Isn’t that what they want? I will leave. I have given my best, turned around the NBC and made it a multi-billion naira yielding parastatal ( even more than some Ministries). I have shown the government how broadcasting can even fund the whole budget of this country alone. I have done my best. And now, through some politics and witch-hunt, they pat me back with this. Who takes this kind of thing? The officers here have heard my side of the story. Every document and paper vindicating my defence has been shown. Why I am still here is up to them. But I’m tired’
I shook my head. I don’t blame him. Anyone in his position would be tired.
It was time to leave. I shook him firmly and encouraged him more with my words and we left.
My position on this is clear. I stand with Emeka Mba on this. I stake my honour that he is innocent of these malicious allegations.
The nebulous N15 Billion naira they say he is accused of is NOT missing. It’s sitting in the bank and safe. It’s a bank guarantee for the operators of the digitisation switch over and if you know what a bank guarantee is, then you would know that not one penny of that money was touched. The EFCC is acting on a petition by someone from within the NBC who’s obviously in cahoots with forces to get Emeka Mba out of there.
Before Emeka Mba got there, the NBC was never declaring billions as revenue. Emeka got there and changed the revenue base of the NBC. NBC and the federal government stands to make up to N1.7 trillion naira in the next two years from the digitisation switch. That’s mega money. Of course interests would come in. That’s my theory.
Emeka democratised and demystified the licensing process at the NBC. Before him, it would have taken years for anyone or organisation get a broadcast license after application and due process. Emeka changed and fast-tracked the process. He knows broadcasting creates jobs. For every TV and radio licence given, the economy is affected positively through jobs creation. Thousands of jobs.
Why this country cannibalises its good hands is a mystery of service in Nigeria. That’s one of the reasons I have personally not served in any political appointment ( and I have been offered a couple in the past ). Your good name and pedigree gets rubbished by the pettiness in the political pot.
Emeka Mba doesn’t deserve this.
Charles Novia is an award-winning filmmaker. He is founder of November Productions and November Records.
