Following his release last week Monday, January 11, by
EFCC officials, entertainment practitioners have being expressing their massive
support for the DG of Nigerian Broadcasting Service (NBC), Emeka Mba, who was
arrested over allegations of embezzlement of public funds to the tune of N15b.
“I am extremely happy at the release of Mr. Mba. I was
traumatized when I heard of his travails,” says Tony Okoroji, Chairman, COSON
said in a chat with Entertainer. “I was in Emeka’s office in Abuja with Bisi
Olatilo. We spoke extensively about the work he is doing to digitalize Nigerian
broadcasting, a development linked to the work that I do and we knew that
trouble was coming!
“You do not make the kind of progress Emeka has made
at the NBC without small minded people going after you. Emeka has turned the
beggarly NBC into a goldmine, now everyone wants to be NBC DG. I have been
through it before so I know.
While Okoroji argues that he is a foot soldier in the
war against corruption and wants those who have robbed Nigeria to pay, he
however demands indisputable evidences that Emeka Mba is a robber before he
keeps quiet.
“I have known Emeka for many years and he has been a
man of brilliant ideas and high ideals. It is from this crop of Nigerians that
President Buhari must find the brains to build the new Nigeria, people who think
out of the box.
“Without Emeka Mba as NBC DG, the tremendous progress
we have made with the collective management of copyright in the music industry
in Nigeria would have continued to be a pipe dream. That was why last year,
COSON presented him with the Copyright Medal of Honour,” Okoroji added.
Commenting, movie maker, Charles Novia, expressed joy
at Mba’s release and declared that the industry would stand behind Mba all the
way.
“His friends and colleagues in the broadcast and
entertainment industries are relieved that he is out of detention. There are
many willing to be witnesses for Emeka Mba and we will be by his side all
through his travails.
“We did not believe for once what was reported about
him. The Emeka Mba we know is above such infractions and we will stand with him
and he will overcome,” Novia added.
“I knew he would be released. We were very happy when
we heard the news,” says Fidelis Duker, Founder, Abuja International Film
Festival (AIFF). “It is important that social media begins to understand the
need to give people the benefit of doubt. Emeka Mba is somebody I have known
for many years and I can vouch for his integrity. He served as DG of Censors
Board for many years and was reappointed again to run NBC. That is because he
has a track record of delivering.
“The basic is issue here is the transition to digital
broadcast that the NBC is working on. He is a man that has the experience to
deliver and you must give it to him. He is highly intelligent and hard working.
These should never even have arisen in the first place. This is case of witch
haunting.
“He has done very well and he should be given a chance
to complete his job. I think the EFCC should conduct their investigations
before arresting people. If you google his name online, what you will see are
very embarrassing stories and this is not fair. I don’t even wish such for my
enemies. He has been criminalised by people who don’t even know him,” Duker
added.
Commenting, veteran movie maker Eddie Ugboma declared
that Mba’s release is a testament to the fact that Buhari is not out to witch
hunt anybody: “Emeka Mba is like a son to me and I can vouch for him. It is a
case of somebody from the inside angry at his success. However, his release
shows that government is listening and not out to witch hunt anybody.
“I am happy for Emeka Mba. They should allow him to
complete his job. Emeka is turning the NBC around. He has shown how NBC
can contribute over 400trillion to the economy! This is awesome. Emeka is very
relevant and he has a job to do in digitisation in February. “
For Maki Soyinka, there was never a need for his
arrest in the first place: “His release wa long overdue. He shouldn’t have been
arrested in the first place. It was a case of shocking misinformation. It
was a campaign of calumny to rubbish his name. The lesson I have learnt
that if you want to work hard in Nigeria, you should be ready to be persecuted.”
“It is so sad that this happened at all. What they
should have done was to have conducted their investigations properly before
arresting anybody and putting him to a public trial,” says Tajudeen Adepetu,
the CEO of Soundcity and OnTV. “The media, especially social media must learn
the need to be professional before publishing because it could be very hurtful.
We should try as much as possible not to mislead people and know that not
everybody is guilty of what you see in the papers.
“I think we are being very lazy as practitioners.
Putting astronomical figures to names like this is terrible. And you wonder if
the country really has that kind of money.”
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