Confusion has engulfed the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) following an unverified report alleging the removal of its Director-General, Salihu Abdulhamid Dembos, and the appointment of a new management team by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The unconfirmed report surfacing barely a week after a similar rumour about the purported resignation of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) Group Managing Director, Bayo Ojulari claims that sports entertainment executive, Rotimi Pedro, from Lagos, has been named as the new NTA Director-General.
It further alleged that Karimah Bello from Katsina State has been appointed Executive Director, Marketing; Stella Din from Plateau State as Executive Director, News; and Sophia Issa Mohammed from Adamawa State as Managing Director of NTA Enterprises Limited.
Report says the purported shake-up, which has not been announced through any official communication channel, has thrown the NTA headquarters into uncertainty.
Presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga and Minister of Information Mohammed Idris Malagi who, alongside the current NTA leadership, are presently on a citizens’ engagement tour in Enugu and Ebonyi States—have yet to confirm or deny the reported changes.
The absence of clarification from the Presidency and the Information Ministry has fuelled speculation that certain “power blocs” within government may be leaking sensitive information to the media without due process.
The development is striking, given that the current NTA leadership has been in office for less than two years.
Dembos from Adamawa State was appointed in October 2023, while the six current Executive Directors—Ibrahim Aliyu, Muhammed Mustapha, Apinke Effiong, Tari Taylaur, Sadique Omeiza, and Oluwakemi Fashina—were officially named on September 27, 2024.
The incident underscores growing concerns over the unchecked spread of unverified claims and the difficulty of maintaining coherent public communication when official channels remain silent. For now, both NTA staff and the Nigerian public are left in suspense, awaiting an authoritative statement on whether the nation’s flagship broadcaster is indeed undergoing a change at the helm.
