The Management of Abubakar Rimi Television (ARTV) has debunked allegations of corruption and witchhunting levelled against its managing director, Mustapha Indabawa, saying the crisis in the Kano State-owned television station was orchestrated by the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC).
A national daily (not LEADERSHIP) had reported that the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-corruption Commission was investigating the managing director of ARTV over alleged misappropriation and mismanagement.
The investigation followed a petition by the joint union of the station, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and Radio Television and Theatre Arts Workers Union (RATTAWU) to the State governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, over alleged misappropriation of funds amounting to about N100m and abuse of office.
Recall that Indabawa was among the new heads of parastatals appointed by Governor Yusuf a few months ago.
But, the TV station denied the allegations, saying external forces in connivance with insiders were responsible for the crisis at ARTV.
I”t has come to the knowledge of the management of Abubakar Rimi Television (ARTV) that the crisis within our organisation has external dimension with some people hell bent on causing disharmony to rupture the prevailing peace and harmony currently being enjoyed.
“These external elements in the sinister plot have succeeded largely in recruiting elements within to carry out their plot.
“To ensure that they secure their desired results, the two have been employing all manners of tricks, subterfuge, propaganda and lies to get as many unsuspecting staff as possible into their side.
“In recent weeks, the hitherto peace and tranquility being enjoyed in the facility were disrupted by these elements using staff members, particularly, the leadership of the various trade organizations to foment trouble.
“While at it, sundry allegations of graft and official misdemeanor were levied against the Managing Director of the television, Alhaji Mustapha Ndabawa.
“Of particular note is the rumour making the rounds suggesting that the management of the television station has finalized arrangements to sell off the staff quarters.
“We wish to state that this is not true and that the management has never and never contemplate such and that the rumour is just a mere figment of the imagination of those peddling it.
“Apart from that, they also accused him of gross nepotism by alleging that he brought his brother who is not a staff member to perform official duties.
“The traducers of the managing director even went further to accuse him of witch hunting the leadership of the various trade unions for staging the various protest matches.
“These allegations are not true and the management is using this platform to deny them in their entirety.
“We are calling on staff members to be wary of the lies and deceits of those wo do not mean well for the organization who are hell bent in destroying the peace and tranquility being enjoyed here.
“The management is also urging them to also take into cognisance, the political underpinnings of this crisis which intelligence reports have put squarely on the door steps of the opposition elements of All Progressives Congress (APC).
“It has since been discovered that chieftains of the APC are the ones instigating and fomenting this crisis.
“Our appeal to them (APC chieftains) is to wait for another four years to test their electoral acceptance with the people of Kano State instead of fomenting troubles here and there.
“While we acknowledge that things might not be where they should be, we are using this opportunity to appeal to our staff members to eschew violence and work hand in hand with us to remedy the situation.
“There might be some point of disagreements here and there, we believe that such can always be resolved via dialogue instead of resorting to violence,” ARTV said in a statement.