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Channels TV Program Under Suspension For Exposing NSE Scam
Posted: June 5, 2011 - 15:15
Posted by siteadmin
caption: Emmanuel Ikazoboh
By SaharaReporters, New York

The Special Edition broadcast of May 30, 2011 of Business Morning on Channels Television on "Ikhazoboh Tenure Analysis" has led to the indefinite suspension of Millennial Broadcast Company (MBC) News Corp, headed by Boason Omofaye.

The action was taken through a verbal communication from the station's General Manager (Operations), and came despite an existing contract agreement between Channels TV and MBC News Corp. No official written communication has yet been issued to the Producer/Anchor by Channels Television.

The hour-long programme, which was anchored by Mr. Omofaye, featured two guests, Mr Ikechukwu Ikeji and Mr Boniface Okezie, who analysed the eight-month tenure of Mr. Emmanuel Ikhazoboh as the Interim Head of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE).  The award-winning TV show examined: the Justice Idris Ruling on Ndi Okereke-Onyuike on May 20, the Forensic Audit of the NSE, the present position of Mr Ikhazoboh as the Chairman of the CSCS, His “Cleansing” Regime at the NSE, the Mercedez Benz scam, and the new Chief Executive of the Exchange, Mr Oscar Onyema.

The show was into its 20th minute when Mr Ikhazoboh began calling on the anchor's phone line seeking to make comments on the issues surrounding his tenure. He was asked to send an SMS but he insisted on a live phone comment.  In his third attempt, his wish was granted, and for about 10 minutes, Mr Ikhazoboh debunked the allegations concerning a Mercedez Benz (S Class) he bought for 3million naira from the stock exchange (the car was purportedly bought for about 18 million naira; that he and his 'rescue' team sent in on August 05, 2010 by the Securities & Exchange Commission took a 13th month bonus last year although he had only worked for 5 months; and that under his tenure, the monies paid by investors for Trade Alert was being withheld in defiance of an existing court order to maintain the status quo.
The former Interim Head of the NSE denied all the allegations while Mr Omofaye read out some of the SMS messages from viewers during the show. Mr Omofaye concluded the programme with the two studio guests stating that the discussion would continue in the days ahead.

In the evening of Monday, May 30, Mr Omofaye received a text message which stated that Mr Ikhazoboh was writing through his lawyers on allegations of 'defamation of character', among others.

On June 01, Mr Omofaye received from Mr. Ikhazoboh’s solicitors: Sofunde Osakwe Ogundipe & Belgore, a letter entitled, “Publication in Channels Television Programme of the Morning of 30th of May, 2011.”
The solicitors stated that the TV show amounting to “a very serious and malicious defamation of the character” and that some of the words used disparaged Mr. Ikhazoboh in his profession and were words for which he could be made to suffer physically.

The solicitors demanded, within 7 days, an apology and retraction for publication on Business Morning of Channels Television.  The apology would also preclude Mr. Omofaye from repeating the “said false publication, or any such publication."

The Solicitors are also demanding a “substantial compensation” for their client, for which they asked Mr. Omofaye for “proposals as to amount." The law firm said they had the instructions of Mr Ikhazoboh to sue Mr. Omofaye) if they did not receive a satisfactory response within seven days.

they also shut down the online service . what is going on

Well . . . . . . . . . . . ., we now have the FOI to use to check if Mr Ikhazoboh was 'clean'! If Mr Ikhazoboh has nothing to hide, a show/and or online service should not be taken down because of him! He should simple come forward with proof that what was presented on the show was lies!