Despite the fact that Emeka Mba the former Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) carried out his assignment in a commendable manner, there are some disgruntled elements who are bent on tarnishing his reputation. The question is why?

A look at Mba, former DG of NBC last days in office and the Digital Switch Over | March 14, 2016 | IT PULSE MAGAZINE.

The last days of Emeka Mba, former DG of NBC was turbulent, owing to his arrest and subsequent detention by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on alleged N15 billion fraud within the commission. In this report, Martin Ekpeke takes a look at how Mba piloted the affairs of NBC and the now controversial Digital Switch Over.

The activities of the former Director General of National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Mr. Emeka Mba have been seen as innovative; especially the way he liberalized issuance of broadcast licenses; thus, the rise in number of radio and TV stations across the federation.

At the last count, Nigeria presently has over 410 Radio and Television stations spread across the country. These exclude the over 30 Internet Radio stations, which are currently broadcasting.

Again, the way and manner he anchored the funding of the Digital Switch Over process at the time the federal government appeared handicap as a result of the paucity of fund shows thoughtful leadership, worthy of emulation by other government agencies and parastatals.

Nigeria was unable to meet its international obligation to transit from analogue to digital broadcasting. Nigeria could not meet the July 2015 deadline set by the International Telecommunication Union, an arm of the United Nations, which Nigeria is a member.

This was due partly to the huge burden on the economy emanating from the 2015 elections, which was around the corner, and the pressures of the war against Boko Haram.

But in his thoughtful leadership, the former Director General of National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Mr. Emeka Mba looked at a proposal from Technology Advisors, a leading ICT Law Firm in the country and a dedicated DSO funding platform was developed on the basis of the free and available broadcasting spectrum, which by law is under the administration of the NBC.

The express approval by former President Goodluck Jonathan to issue the licencing of spectrum covered not only the utilization of the proceeds realized for DSO, but also the format of the special auction to be conducted for the license, as well as the provisioning of set-top-boxes (STBs), providing STB rebates, DSO publicity and other critical aspects of the DSO. MTN Communications Limited, who made the highest bid offer in the special auction process, was later licensed by the NBC and the proceeds were immediately put to use as directed by the former President in order to meet the new regional DSO deadline set by the West African States.

At this point, industry stakeholders began to appreciate the innovation and wisdom of the NBC under the leadership of Emeka Mba, which was immediately recommended by the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO) for other nations battling with the funding of their DSO to meet the new regional DSO deadline set by the West African States.

With the understanding that Nigeria was about to create the largest digital free television network in the world with a known 26million television households, the government also approved a household set top box rebate assistance scheme, for the most vulnerable families across the country, in order to ensure that economically disadvantaged families are not cut off from watching television when the analogue switch off occurs.

The NBC in consultation with all relevant stakeholders involved in the DSO, including the licensed set top box manufacturers agreed to the STB rebate scheme financing, with the NBC provides the necessary ‘off taker guarantees’ to all the STB manufacturers through Zenith bank for the offshore manufacture and delivery of STBs for the pilot DSO launch in Plateau State.

THE ALLEGATION THAT BEING CANVASSED BY POORLY INFORMED ANALYSTS THAT THE EFCC HAS RECOVERED THE SUM OF N34BN PAID BY MTN FOR SPECTRUM, AND WAS ALLEGEDLY STOLEN OR MISMANAGED ARE FALSE AND WITHOUT FOUNDATION.

Industry watchers are aware that the major reason the guaranty was instituted was to ensure that the STB manufacturers were assured that their investment in importing STBs for the Jos DSO pilot and establishing manufacturing plants locally in Nigeria would be safe; and to ensure that government funds were not paid up front to anyone who may end up receiving the funds and frittering it away.

It was a win-win situation designed to guarantee the availability of the product and the security of the government funds. The off-taker guarantees and also covers the cost of the provision of the digital content access fee (DCAF) for all the STBs by the authorized middleware provider (Inview Limited).

Part of the innovative plan was that the DCAF was to be used for activation of each STB and would be ploughed into a broadcasting fund for maintenance of the digital infrastructure, provide training for professionals in the industry, creation of digital content, and provides support to owners of some thematic channels such as children’s programming.

Stakeholders following the DSO have argued that it is absurd for anyone to allege that the NBC defied the Federal Government’s directive on the Treasury Single Account (TSA) by diverting funds from the proceeds of the licence fee.

Investigations have revealed that the NBC had with appropriate approvals entered necessary agreements with Zenith bank and the authorized STB manufacturers for the bank guarantees on the manufacture of the STBs, without which it would be impossible to achieve the digital switchover. A portion of the DSO fund was already encumbered through the bank guarantees provided for authorized STB manufacturers before the TSA directive took effect. It is a known fact that the rest of the funds were swept into the TSA by the bank.

In an interview with a Lagos based telecom expert, Dr. Lanre Omololu, he told journalists that “The former Director General of NBC, Emeka Mba, is a known agent of positive change and a proactive person who is even needed in this present government if am asked”.

He said Mba transformed the broadcast regulation at NBC and liberalized the industry for accelerated development.

Another ace broadcaster and opinion leader in the sector, Alhaji Garba Rano said Mr. Mba enabled the industry to grow and become a key contributor in several international content markets such as MIPCOM, MIPTV, DISCOP, CABSAT and a host of others.

To him, “These platforms created foreign partnerships and attracted foreign investments in the broadcasting industry. Alhaji Rano added that the NBC received several local and international awards while Mba was at the helm of affairs. He argues that it was his presence that provided confidence and attracted several foreign investors into the industry, and elevated several senior staff members to Directorship even when some of his predecessors refused to do the same.

“Emeka changed the NBC website, which got the Philips Consulting Award last year in Lagos and also brought about more professionalism in broadcast regulatory practice through reformative regulations and industry research,” he stress further. Read the rest here: http://itpulse.com.ng/a-look-at-mba-former-dg-of-nbc-last-days-in-office-and-the-digital-switch-over/