Journalists Unions at the renowned Abubakar Rimi Television (ARTV) Kano, have sought Kano state government intervention following a series of threats by the Managing Director of the station Mustapha Adamu Indabawa.
Trouble started when deterioration, extremely poor working facilities at the station coupled with mismanagement of priority as well as selective Justice prompted the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) ARTV Chapel, Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) ARTV Chapel and Radio Television Theatre and Art Workers Union of Nigeria (RATTAWU) ARTV chapter sought for a meeting with the managing director and table all the issues and some of their meeting’s resolutions concerning smooth operation of the station.
Instead of looking into the raised issues, he (Indabawa) connives with the already overstayed staff officer (SO) of the station Ibrahim Bello to watch hunts, members of the union especially their executives.
The SO was believed to have worked there for over ten years.
A reliable source from the station told GLOBAL TRACKER that the managing director has already asked SO to bring his office the files of all the Union Exco, to transfer them out of the station.
The source said despite the station receiving about ninety (90) million naira in funds from the United Nations program ARID, it suffers from inadequate facilities, a situation which forces staff to share computer ‘mouse’ during editing and some other activities.
Another source also told GLOBAL TRACKER that the MD has imposed his junior brother Auwal’s Manager on some of the activities, the development which looks like family affairs running the station and watching hunt whoever says something different from what they believed to be their ideology.
The source also revealed to this paper that the junior brother of the MD has engaged in diverting diesel meant for the operation of the station to personnel gained all with the knowledge of the MD, some even believed a kickback is paid in return.
Auwal Manager was also accused of turning the film village into a good evening center bringing men and women together making the place uncomfortable for decent people, a situation that needs Kano state Hisbah board’s intervention in tackling unlawful activities which are against Islamic laws in government-owned stations.
It was also gathered that, recently, the MD’s brother has hired Tuggs to the station to attack and kill one of his friends following a misunderstanding between them.
This newspaper also recalled how the managing director was accused of diverting the lion’s share of the three hundred (300) cartons of spaghetti donations brought to the station as a Ramadan gesture to the staff.
Also, it was learned that Mustapha and his SO Ibrahim Bello have planned to sell ARTV’s staff quarters located on Sabo Bakin-zero road in Nassarawa local government area.
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GLOBAL TRACKER has reached out to Auwal Manager who declined to comment on the matter.
GLOBAL TRACKER has reached out to the managing director of Alhaji Mustapha Indabawa who denied all the allegations, adding that he was watch-hunt too by some people believed to be bankrolled by some powerful forces at the station.
According to him, he is not in any way witch-hunt anybody from either NUJ, RATTAWU, or NAWOJ, adding that NAWOJ executives have categorically expressed to him that they will not partake in any moves against him.
“When I took over as MD, the station started operation from 04:00 pm to 12:00 am and its radio was completely down, but as I am speaking now the Television station started operations from 08:00 am and closed at midnight,” said Mustapha.
The manager also dispelled rumours that he is planning to sell the station’s quotes challenging whoever has evidence to produce them.
On the issue of Auwal Manager, he has been clear to the management that whoever in any way involved him in official activities of the station is at his own risk.
Meanwhile, reports on Friday say investigators of the Kano state public complaint and anti-corruption have spent over three hours checking documents.