The Yobe State Government has paid the Nigeria Broadcasting Commission (NBC) all outstanding backlog payments totaling $23 million.
This was confirmed to The Nation in Damaturu on Tuesday by the commissioner for home affairs, information, and culture, Mohammed Lamin.
He said the debt had been settled on Monday, beating the deadline for due stations to make payment by Tuesday or risk having their licences revoked.
The sum covered for Yobe Television (YTV) and Yobe Broadcasting Corporation was disclosed by him (YBC).
According to him: “We are not owing the NBC again. We have just settled all the outstanding payments with them this afternoon amounting to ₦23 million. The money covers our two stations. That is the Radio and the Television Station. So as you see, Yobe State Government has beaten the dateline of Tuesday and our stations will be on air without any interruption from NBC,” the Commissioner disclosed.
“We believe that the media is one of the key drivers of democracy therefore we cannot afford to overlook its importance at this critical time. We thank Governor Mai Mala Buni for making this possible.”
The General Managers of Yobe Television Yusuf Alhaji Isa and Yobe Radio Musa Galadima expressed gratitude to Buni for his timely response to the matter.
“As a General Manager, I lack words to express my gratitude to Gov. Buni for his prompt settlement of this debt to avoid the NBC sledge hammer of shutting down our station. This has gone a long way to protect the image of the state and as well boost the morale of the Staff. We are grateful to our Governor,” Isa said.
Galadima said: “What has happened to me is not a surprise because I know our Governor as a media-friendly Governor will do more than this. But with the deepest gratitude, I wish to on behalf of my staff thank the governor for this intervention.”
Newsmen gathered the N23m covers eight years of debt the State Government owed the NBC.