ICPC arraignment of NBC boss, others political — CSO

A coalition of civil society organizations yesterday faulted the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) over the arraignment of NBC boss Modibbo Kawu, Dipo Onifade, Lucky Omoluwa and Pinnacle Communication Ltd.

The coalition disclosed this in a statement signed by the president Competence Governance for Accountability and Civic Trust, Comrade Omoba Micheal; the deputy president Urhobo of the South-South Youth Peace Mission, Amb. Omoba Micheal; and the executive director of Beyond Boundaries Legacies Leadership Initiatives, Comrade Omaga E. Daniel.

They said the petition on this matter was written against ITS and not Pinnacle Communication, of which the petitioner-accused ITS of supplying sub-standard equipment/refurbished materials for the Digital Switch Over (DSO).

They said the NBC lincencee, Pinnacle Communication only worked in Kaduna and Abuja DSO respectively and has been commissioned by the government.

The coalition said there is no challenge in the two sites the Pinnacle Communication worked on.

They said the N2.5 billion was payment for a job well done and commissioned by the Nigerian government. “The payment was done six months after Pinnacle had executed their part of the job 100 percent.

“For the Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Muhammad, being the supervising minister of NBC to have signed the seed grant payment alone, shows that everything was checked and in order, before such payment was made,” the coalition said.