The politics of NFC relocation

Updated: Tuesday 30-06-2009

Mr. Afolabi Adesanya, MD, NFCA simple decision to relocate some departments of the Nigerian Film Corporation to Abuja in complaince with the decsion of the Federal Government that all its agencies must have their headquarters in the Federal Capital Territory appears to have ruffled some feathers in Plateau State. Adewale Oshodi reports the plot by some powerful interests to have NFC remain Jos at all costs.

The rumour mill almost ground the operations of the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC) located on the plateau of Jos last week. The rumour which did its full rounds had it that there was a huge financial scam in the organisation and that its managing director and chief executive director, Mr. Afolabi Adesanya, had been arrested in connection with the scam by the officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). According to a source, “it is all a game of power by some interests which do not want NFC or any part of it to be moved to Abuja.”

It was alleged that the supervising ministry of the NFC, Federal Ministry of Information and Communications under the leadership of Professor Dora Akunyili had approved over N11 million for the purported relocation of some departments of the film corporation to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, in line with the directive of the Federal Government that all agencies of government must have their administrative headquarters in the FCT.

It was also claimed in spite of the fund given to the NFC by the minister, the organisation there was another N58 million budgetary allocation for the same office relocation. Some individuals, it was alleged, had sent a petition to the EFCC, claiming impropriety in the handling of finances by the NFC management, which, consequently, fuelled the rumour of arrest.

However, Arts and Reviews’ investigation revealed that a plan was, indeed, on the ground to relocate some departments of the NFC to Abuja. The Minister of Information and Communications, Professor Akunyili, had indeed given her approval to the request to relocate four departments of the NFC to Abuja for administrative considerations. The approval gave the management of the corporation the impetus to set the balling rolling and begin the relocation exercise.

The four departments that were penciled in for movement were Finance, Audit, Administration and the managing Director office. In the case of the latter, only one two staff members were affected by the decision. Core departments such as Production and Film Unit, the National Film Institute, among others were to remain in Jos.

The staff of the affected departments, 15 at the management level with many on senior and junior cadres, who had been notified of the decision to transfer them to Abuja were subsequently and expectedly paid the required allowances to facilitate their movement. The amount that was paid, according to investigation, was less than N13 million.

But this simple government decision, investigation revealed was twisted by some powerful interest in Plateau State. It was said that the decision was a ploy by the government to relocate the corporation was a punitive measure against the state over the recurring ethno-religious crises in Jos and environs.

The NFC is, undoubtedly, the biggest Federal Government’s presence in Jos apart from the University of Jos and has brought much attention to the city and the state. Therefore, its relocation, it was felt would affect the economic outlook of the state and this made the powerful interest to decide to do everything within its powers to resist the attempt. To this end, pressure was mounted on Professor Akunyili and the decision to relocate the departments was thereafter rescinded.

An indication that pressure must have been mounted on the minister emerged at the recent inauguration of building projects at the NFI in Jos by the Adesanya-led NFC, when Mrs. Pauline Tallen, Deputy Governor of Plateau State openly declared that they had quashed the plan to relocate the NFC to Abuja by appealing to the good-natured Professor Akunyili who she said had given her assurance that the plan had been shelved.

“Unfortunately, when the new decision rescinding the plan to relocate the four department came, money had been paid to the affected staff and most of them have even begun to move their families,” the source explained.

“Since money had been given to out, it was impossible to ask the affected members of staff to refund the money immediately. The decision that was taken was to begin the deduction of the money from their salaries of the affected staff. After all, they were not the ones that asked government to halt the relocation agreement.

“But it was all part of the game plan of these interests to mislead the public on the whole issue. There was no fraud in the NFC. The book is there for anyone to see,” the source stated.

Though Arts and Reviews tried to get the reaction of the managing director, Mr. Adesanya, on the issue, the effort yielded no fruits. But some of the members of staff who volunteered information on the condition of anonymity said they were surprised that a simple decision that would have reduced the overhead of the NFC was being politicised unduly.

The NFC is the only federal parastatal agency with its headquarters out side Abuja and management has been amassing huge bills every week as the managing director and other top managers have to attend one official engagement or another in the FCT.