We aired Okupe’s programme, Insight, free of charge, ex-NTA DG Tells Court

Mr. Musa Mayaki, an Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
witness in the ongoing trial of a former Senior Special Assistant
on Public Affairs to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Dr. Doyin
Okupe, said the programme, Insight, was aired on the Nigerian
Television Authority, for free.

Mayaki, a former Director-General of NTA, said this under cross
examination in the over N200m suit filed against Okupe, a former
Senior Special Assistant to former President Goodluck Jonathan, by
the EFCC.

Mayaki told a Federal High Court Abuja that, “As DG, it was my
schedule to know any kobo that came to NTA. It is my evidence that
no money was paid for the programme, Insight.

“It is common knowledge in NTA that no programme from the
Presidency is paid for. Anyone who collects money for it can be
sacked.”

When asked if he was aware that after he gave directives that
the programme be aired for free, some staff went ahead to collect
money for it, he said no and that no one would have gone against
his directives.

NAN reports that Okupe had, in his statement to the EFCC, said
that his office paid NTA for the programme.

The judge, Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu, adjourned the case until
Thursday for continuation of cross-examination.

Okupe is facing 59 counts for allegedly receiving over N200m
from the office of the former National Security Adviser, Sambo
Dasuki, without offering any services.

NAN reports that in March, a second prosecution witness, a
former Executive Director, News, Nigerian Television Authority, Mr.
Olusola Atere, while testifying in court, stirred a controversy
when he said he could “not recall” authoring a letter said to be
bearing NTA logo, his name, and signature.

The letter produced in court by the defence team led by
Joe-Kyari Gadzama (SAN), was said to have been addressed to Okupe’s
office as SSA to the President, acknowledging the presidential
aide’s ‘OK’ payment of about N3m for the sponsorship of a
programme, Insight, on NTA.

The defence said the letter not only acknowledged the payment of
the N3m but also requested more money for the programme, which was
said to have been aired by the national television for many
months.

Responding under cross-examination, Atere, who had, in his
evidence-in-chief, told the court that the programme was aired by
NTA as part of its corporate social responsibility on a
free-of-charge basis, said he could not recall authoring the
letter.

Asked by Gadzama if the signature on the document was his, the
witness, said, “I can’t recall writing this letter because the
signature slightly looks different from my signature.”

The witness repeated the same line when asked the same question
at different times.

(NAN)