Reading through the first paragraph of an article titled, “Balarabe Ilelah: A Square Peg In A Round Hole” published in The Guardian issue of Sunday October 8, 2023, one might be tempted to think that it was written with pure motives. It wasn’t. It is easy to discern the motive at this time when hack writers are all over the place pulling down careers and political office holders with a view to paving ways for desperate office seekers at all cost.
First, the writer, one Nelson Yanju who is not known to be a knowledgeable person in the Art and Media world, acknowledged that the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) is indeed the body “responsible for ensuring that programmes across all platforms not only reflect responsibility and staying within the confines of that which is socially acceptable but also which ensures respect for religious, ethnic, social, political and tribal responsibilities.”
He also pointed out that, “no one can deny the fact that but for the NBC, some broadcasters would have set the nation on fire; especially when broadcasting on political, religious or ethnic issues.” Well said, one would say considering that part of the functions of the National Broadcasting Commission include setting standards with regards to contents and quality of broadcasting, regulating ethical standards and technical excellence etc. The above statements buttresses that the NBC DG’s pronouncement in recent times bothers on social responsibility of the press and not necessarily about encroaching on press freedom.
However, subsequent paragraphs soon made obvious Francois VI, Duc de La Rochefoucauld, French writer and moralist, axiom almost four centuries ago that, “We should often be ashamed of our very best actions, if the world only saw the motives which caused them.”
Ilelah who was described several times as a veteran broadcaster with national and international exposure when he was appointed DG, NBC in 2021, given his rich resume was also described by the same Yanju in the same piece as “having a questionable broadcasting background”. As far as the unknown gunman, (Yanju) is concerned, thirty years of working experience in various capacities in the broadcast industry is insignificant. what kind of recklessness is that?
There was no attempt at pretence as Yanju went for Ilelah’s jugular. He alleged that there was nothing to show for the two years the DG, NBC has been in office adding that he has taken NBC back to a low nadir.
Much as one is not holding brief for the DG, Mr Yanju’s curious pull-him-down article appears to be a smear attempt to have the DG, NBC fired for reasons best known to him and his sponsors. One wonders why the so-called Yanju couldn’t do simple desk research about the NBC today.
Ilelah is doubtless one public official who does not believe that he must be seen and heard all the time in the public domain. He has been a quiet professional who would rather allow results to showcase the brand reputation of the Commission he heads. Aside the Nigeria Broadcast Institute (NBI) alluded to in the said article, the NBC chief executive who was in far away Asia serving an international broadcaster when he was appointed, is instrumental in the acquisition of the state-of-the-art nationwide broadcast monitoring equipment at the NBC headquarters.
What this simply means is that within two years of assumption of office, the Commission’s monitoring system has been transformed from analogue to issuing ultramodern artificial intelligence-driven system. Better still, this will soon be replicated in all the zonal offices of the Commission. Moreover, at the moment, there is no state in Nigeria without an office of the NBC in its monitoring role.
Several attempts through the years to amend NBC’s Act have proved unsuccessful. However, under Malam Ilelah as DG of NBC, a bill to repeal the NBC Act, CAP N11, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and enact the National Broadcasting Commission Act , to provide for the transition from analogue to digital transmission of broadcasting services to promote quality audio and video delivery , efficient management of the spectrum and for related matters has been read for the first time at the Senate. It is receiving prompt attention at the National Assembly as an ides whose time has indeed come.
Another NBC’s achievements under its current DG is the ongoing automation of licensing processes. Thus, potential applicants will soon be able to submit their applications online and also track the progress of their applications.
And so, if there is any DG of NBC that has greatly expanded the broadcast media space, it is Balarabe Ilehah. Between June 2023 and now, a total of 263 broadcast licences approval were secured under his stewardship. This is no mean feat, which no fair-minded mind can easily dismiss.
Malam Ilelah-led NBC has also succeeded in recording a breakthrough digital switchover, which hitherto had been experiencing implementation challenges. The Commission is currently working hard to ensure simultaneous delivery of Nigeria to the remarkable experience of digital broadcasting using SIMULCRYPT. The subsequent agreement between ITS and NTA-Star Nigeria through the NBC will bring this to fruition very soon.
These are just a few of the silent but robust achievements of the current DG of the NBC within two years of his appointment. That is why members of the reading public and authorities in Abuja should not be carried away by the shenanigans and peccadillos of the Yanjus whose current job is to pull down public officers for job seekers who are exploiting the newness of this current administration to fix themselves. Yanju’s hatchet job can therefore be likened to what Shakespeare describes as “a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing”. Here is the thing, the media opinion editors should beware of the Yanjus of this world who specialise in looking for jobs for people in an unethical manner. There is no way Ilelah, who has worked for two international broadcasters in United Kingdom and China can be labeled as a square peg in a round hole. He isn’t a politician. He is a professional broadcaster tapped two years ago to serve his fatherland. He shouldn’t be provoked and reproached by hack writers who have nothing to offer except helping some job seekers to create a toxic work environment in Africa’s most populous nation.
Alabi, a Public Affairs Analyst wrote in from Lagos.
