For days, six of Nigeria’s most critical public information agencies were left stranded. Their money was approved. The President had signed off. But the files never moved.
Now, the anti-graft agency has moved in.
Barely 48 hours after Premium Times exposed how Mrs. Binyerem Ukaire, Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, allegedly withheld essential payment files, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, has launched a formal investigation.
—The Money That Got Stuck—
The funds in question were approved by President Bola Tinubu to keep the lights on and cameras rolling at: NTA, FRCN, VON, NAN, NOA, and NBC*
These are the agencies that inform Nigerians, project the country’s voice abroad, and shape public orientation. Without operational funds, broadcasts get delayed, newsrooms slow down, and national campaigns stall.
But according to multiple sources familiar with the matter, Mrs. Ukaire refused to process the payments.
Her reason? The heads of the agencies allegedly declined her request to make detailed presentations on their ongoing projects and financial utilisation.
–‘“That’s Not How It Works”—
Agency heads and civil service experts say the demand broke protocol.
A circular from the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, clearly directs supervising ministries not to interfere in the finances of their parastatals. Those agencies are primarily accountable to their boards and ministers — not to the Permanent Secretary for line-by-line project presentations before routine releases.
“The money was for operations, not for renegotiation,” one source said. “Withholding it put national broadcasters and news agencies in an impossible position.”
—ICPC Moves In—
Under public pressure, the ICPC invited both Mrs. Ukaire and the affected agency heads for questioning to determine why the funds were blocked.
Sources confirmed that while the interrogation was thorough, neither the Permanent Secretary nor the agency heads were detained. The investigation is ongoing.
—The Outcome: Files Finally Move—
The spotlight worked.
Following the report and ICPC’s intervention, *Mrs. Ukaire has now approved the payment files and transmitted them for disbursement*.
On Saturday, heads of the affected agencies confirmed to Premium Times that the files have been forwarded and are now awaiting final release to their respective accounts.
For NTA, FRCN, VON, NAN, NOA, and NBC, it means the months of uncertainty may finally be over. For civil servants watching, it’s a reminder that oversight without interference is the line the law demands.
[Rewritten story culled from Premium Times]
