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The Managing Director of News Agency of Nigeria (NAN),Bayo Onanuga has declared that he is ready to face a probe by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) or Independent Corrupt Practices Commission( ICPC) following a petition against him by those he described as faceless petitioners.
Penpushing reports that, the petitioners clamouring to stop re-appointment of Onanuga for second term, in the petition accused him of diverting the income of the company for his personal use and also alleged him of sabotage.
However, in a swift response, the Managing Director, wrote to the Minister of Information, pointing out that, the petitioners under the aegis of NAN Joint Union, remains illegal creation of the four unions in the agency, and called on the Minister to call the signatories of the petition to a meeting on Monday, and he is ready to face them
‘I was shocked to read the allegations leveled against me by NAN Joint Union, an illegal creation of the four unions in the agency. More shocking was the description of my tenure by the signatories to the letter as ‘the worst’ and I ‘the most corrupt manager in the history of the agency. The descriptions are the most uncharitable, most wicked about my three-year tenure’.
Penpushing further reports that, Onanuga said on resumption of office, he met the agency almost comatose and ran it with financial prudence, ‘denying myself and my office of my entitlements, brutally cutting costs, all to ensure that it survives and fulfills the mandate for which it was set up 43 years ago’.
‘In all, I see the petitions as an attempt to rubbish the good work I have done in the agency. I am ready for a probe. The EFCC or ICPC should be invited to check the records. Since I assumed duty as Managing Director, I have never dipped my hands into the Agency’s coffers. I have demonstrated financial discipline by reducing waste, all because I believe the agency must survive first to fulfil its core business of news gathering and distribution’.
‘All the past three years, the unions have never accused me of financial impropriety. It is painful that at the end of my tenure, they suddenly cooked up the malicious and actionable allegations. All records are available to support my submission and I hope the signatories to the petition will be ready to defend their libelous allegations’, Onanuga stated.
‘The lies are designed to block my re-appointment. I wish them good luck. I believe the petitioners are afraid of impending reforms in the Agency and are doing everything possible to thwart efforts to make NAN compete favourably with its peers’, he added.
‘It is simply wicked to accuse me of diverting the income to my personal use. The audited accounts will clear all issues around this.
‘One of the signatories to the petition, Suleman failed the last promotion exam. He wanted me to promote him, nevertheless. I refused. He now wants a pound of flesh. As far as I know, all those who passed the tests were promoted. We also promoted those who fell on the borderline. Allegation of intimidation is baseless’.
‘The faceless group that calls itself CONCERN(SIC) STAFF OF NAN, accused me of sabotage, alleging that my PMNEWS breaks news before NAN. This is again groundless. PMNEWS subscribes to NAN and had been a subscriber for many years. PMNEWS also gets its news from a variety of sources’.
