Director-General Of National Broadcasting Corporation, Ilelah, In Alleged Multi-Billion Naira Contracts’ Scandal

According to an exclusive report by SaharaReporters, some workers of the National Broadcasting Corporation have accused the Director-General of the agency, Balarabe Shehu Ilelah, of nepotism and marginalisation.

They accused Ilelah of engaging in illegal award of contracts to friends, family members and cronies in violation of procurement laws. 

Sources told SaharaReporters that since the appointment of the Director-General in June 2021, it had been a regime of indiscriminate awards of contracts to persons that either did not bid for contracts that the NBC did not advertise. 

According to the workers, Ilelah has abused all known procurement regulations in the agency. 

“It is a sad story at the NBC as we speak; I have never seen a DG that is so compromised in the annals of the NBC. The DG has thrown caution to the wind and has also succeeded in forming a cartel that runs the show, clearly sidelining other top management staff,” one of the workers said.

Another staff in the procurement department, who pleaded anonymity for fear of victimisation, stated that the procurement department has been busy attending to contract files of people not shortlisted or issued award letters. 

“It is a new regime for us, and we are handicapped as it stands. We come to the office daily seeing strange faces claiming to be contractors from the DG's office to supply all sorts. In some instances, the companies are not registered,” he said.

SaharaReporters further gathered that the Director-General had mandated all existing contractors register with their award letters for vetting at his office.

And those whose contract sums exceed a certain amount are made to make commitments before their payments are processed.

A close source conversant with the activities of Ilelah since he assumed leadership added that the DG has elected to tow the same path that led to the removal of his predecessor. 

He stated that a clique at the commission set traps for the Director-General through the indiscriminate award of contracts.

"It is such a pity that the DG has also fallen for the gimmick of those few that have entrenched themselves as the alpha and omega of the NBC. They give wrong advice to the DG and show him how to shortchange the system through the award of contracts.

"The new DG fell completely flat for these individuals. This time around, they used the instrument of religion to penetrate the DG. And the way and manner the DG has used religion as a tool is alarming. Contractors are classified along with religious lines and other despicable acts. What the DG has failed to realize is that these same people are the ones that go about telling the world about how he is corruptly enriching himself. 

“We all are aware of how the former DG was suspended and eventually sacked for corrupt practices. And in truth, if the current DG escapes this, then it would be a miracle because he has involved himself with acts that are very uncharitable in less than a year,” he added.