The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Nigeria Television Authority (NTA)

  • Drama as eight robbers sentenced to death attack journalists

    A state high court in Adamawa State has sentenced eight armed robbers to death by hanging.

    The condemned robbers reacted violently, attacking journalists recording the process.

    The affected journalists, one from the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) and the other from Adamawa State Television (ATV), were cameramen filming the convicts who were handcuffed in pairs but who managed to get hold of pebbles around the court premises to inflict injuries on the cameramen.

    The cameramen and other people around the place were saved from further harm by prison officials drafted to provide security.

    The convicted persons were found guilty on nine counts, according to the presiding judge, Justice Abdulaziz Waziri of High Court Three, Yola, who said the judgement followed a thorough review of the statements of both the prosecuting and defense counsels.

    He said the presentations of the counsels and those of witnesses proved beyond any doubt that the suspects were guilty of the charges against them.

    Read Also: Police arraign three men for stealing, constituting public nuisance

    He, therefore, pronounced death by hanging against them but explained that they had 90 days to make an appeal against the judgement.

    The convicted eight included Aliyu Ardo, Sadiq Mijinyawa, Shaibu Abubakar, and Sani Musa, The others were Kabiru Abdullahi, Saidu Abubakar, Umar Mohammed and Sanusi Ibrahim.

    The Adamawa State Controller of Prisons, Umar Audu, who spoke on the violence by the convicts, said the authorities made adequate preparation against such act by providing 10 personnel to take them to court, but that the actions of the convicts came as a surprise as such a thing had never happened anywhere in the state before.

    He said the convicts who had since been returned to prison, had shown remorse for their actions.

  • Edo First Lady to engage girls in farming

    Edo State First Lady, Mrs. Betsy Obaseki, has said arrangement has been concluded to engage young girls in the state in maize farming.

    Mrs. Obaseki said plans have been concluded  to partner the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) to organize monthly farmers’ market to serve at least 3000 female farmers.

    Speaking when members of the Action Aid and the Ideal Development and Resource Center (IDRC) paid her a courtesy visit, Mrs. Obaseki said the female farmers would be encouraged to cultivate pumpkin leaf for export.

    Read Also:Edo First Lady launches Child Protection Policy

    Mrs. Obaseki noted that the farmers’ market is to facilitate market access for female farmers, who are engaged in large scale cultivation of cassava and pumpkin leaves.

    She commended Action Aid and IDRC for ensuring that the Child Rights Law was passed into law.

    According to her, “We plan to work with a set of 3000 to 5000 female farmers who are into farming of pumpkin leaf for export, and a set of more than 300 young women who grow specialised maize species.

    “You have done a lot of work for our children. What we need now is support for women to improve production, processing, packaging of farm produce in line with the governor’s reforms in agriculture.”

    Earlier, Country Director, Action Aid, Mrs. Ene Obi, said the organisation would continue to collaborate with the state government in providing youths with skills for wealth creation to curb irregular migration.

    Ene noted that 2000 youths have been trained by Action Aid and IDRC in auto mechanics, tailoring, cobbling, among others, as a way of encouraging them to shun irregular migration and make the best out of life.

  • Digital TV will generate N100bn for Nollywood – Lai Mohammed

    Digital TV will generate N100bn for Nollywood – Lai Mohammed

    Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed says that Digital Television will generate N100bn annually for Nollywood through FreeTV distribution network.

    The minister made this known on Wednesday at the launch of digital switch over at the premises of the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA), Ilorin.

    He said that Nigerians have watched Nollywood moved from VHS tapes to VCD to DVD, adding that the whole world has moved to digital consumption of content with its attendant benefits and democratisation of distribution.

    Nigerian TV viewers, the minister said have been constrained by limited penetration of internet in their homes.

    “With the middleware in our `Set Top Boxes’; homes will be able to buy and watch the latest Nollywood movies without the need for internet.

    “Imagine a film released on Monday morning being immediately available to all the households in Kwara at the touch of a button. That is the kind of experience we are talking about,” the minister added.

    Mohammed added that FReeTV has the capacity to grow TV advertising market by 400million dollar per annum through audience measurement.

    “In this regard, permit me to use this opportunity to throw the weight of the government behind the NBC in its efforts to create a viable currency by which producers of content and channels can be re-numerated,” he said.

    The minister said that the digital switch over will create tens of thousands of jobs through Technical and Manufacturing opportunities.

    “`Set Top Box’ assembling and ultimately manufacturing is an irreversible mandate by the government to the industry.

    “We expect this to extend very quickly to local Smart TV and Tablet manufacturing.

    “With our strong consumer base, we can quickly become the supplier of these equipments to the whole of West Africa,” the minister added.

    Mohammed added that Electronic Programme Guide will also be a platform for App developers to create products that will make life easier for the home consumers.

    “For the people of Kwara, we welcome the publishers of Apps to start looking for how to make living easier and commerce easier, using the technology that sits on these boxes,” he added.

    Mallam Ish’aq Modibo Kawu, Director General, National Broadcasting Commission ( NBC ), in his remark said the switch over in Ilorin was the third since inauguration in Jos, Plateau State.

    Kawu said that one of the reasons for choosing Kwara in the North Central was the presence of old broadcasting house and its closeness to international borders.

    He said the switch over will be done in each of the six geopolitical zones of the country, adding that Kaduna will be next to switch over to digital TV.

    The DG added that the Federal Government has imported 600, 000 Set of `Top Boxes’ at subsidised price.

    He said that when the 600, 000 boxes are exhausted, there will be no subsidy for subsequent ones as the boxes will be manufactured in the country.

    NAN

  • FG to block IPOB funding sources

    FG to block IPOB funding sources

    The Federal Government says it is aware of sources of funding of the Indigenous People of Biafra ( IPOB ) and is taking steps to block them.

    The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed disclosed this on Tuesday when he appeared on a live TV programme “Good Morning Nigeria” on the Nigeria Television Authority ( NTA ).

    “Terrorists do not publish where their funding are coming from. But we know the countries that are supporting IPOB.

    “We know the sources of their funding though I am not at liberty to disclose them here.

    “We are taking steps to block them and we are also taking a lot of diplomatic actions in respect of the countries that are supporting them”.

    The Minister said that most of the countries supporting the group were doing so based on ignorance.

    He said they had been hoodwinked to believing that “Nigeria is a country where Muslims persecute Christians” and a country where there is genocide.

    “As we speak today, IPOB has written letters to many Governments outside Nigeria, international parliaments sending fake and cloned videos claiming there is genocide in Nigeria.

    The minister charged the international community not to adopt double standard in dealing with IPOB and to be more diligent before making any pronouncements.

    He said what the countries would never accept in their territories, should not be condoned or encouraged in Nigeria.

    The minister justified the actions of the military for declaring IPOB a terrorist group as well as its proscription by the South-East governors.

    “There are a lot of arguments regarding the constitutionality of the action of the military and the South East governors.

    “People must realise that we are dealing with issue of national security and I do not think that the military and the governors should fold their arms while the country is set ablaze.

    “I have heard a lot of comments as to whether the military has the right to declare IPOB, a terrorist group

    “What the military has done is to catalogue all the activities of IPOB, which are not different from that of terrorists groups,” he said.

    Mohammed said IPOB set up a para-military organisation, a parallel military group, Biafra Secret Service and Biafra National Guard.

    He said the group were attacking army installations and soldiers at check points, extorting money from innocent people.

    “IPOB activities are not jokes. If there have not been the proactive actions on the part of the military and the South East governors, there would have been retaliations from other regions and the entire country will be set on fire.

    “We cannot be talking of semantics or procedure when the nation is moving towards crises and precipices.

    It is only in a Banana Republic that you can see non state actors doing what IPOB is doing.

    “The actions by the military and the governors should be seen from the perspective of ensuring internal security and averting chaos,” he said.

    The minister reiterated his position that IPOB was being sponsored by the association of disgruntled politicians and treasury looters to discredit President Muhammad Buhari”s Administration.

    He admonished the media and opinion leaders to be circumspect in their publications and discussions on IPOB in order not to aggravate the crises the more.

    “The kind of comments and headlines in the media as well as comments from certain quarters are the types that give oxygen and confidence to the IPOB.

    “They must exercise restraint because the only reason we practice our profession or be a commentator is simply because there is peace in the country,” he said.

  • I made my first millions in late 90’s – Ali Baba

    I made my first millions in late 90’s – Ali Baba

    The renowned comedian, Ali Baba, has said that he started making his millions as a stand-up comedian in the late 90’s when the profession was still in its infancy in the country.

    Ali Baba told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Lagos that comedy business started paying off when people knew little about the profession.

    The comedian spoke against the backdrop of an award conferred on him by The Verdant Zeal Quantum Awards at the prestigious Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, on March 22.

    “When I got my first endorsement and I was paid about N82,000, someone who saw me with the cheque asked what I do for a living and when I said I am a comedian he was baffled.

    “The person did not even have an idea that I had got an endorsement from Guinness Nigeria Plc that was worth about N1.2 million. We don’t need to shout over this.

    “The pay from show business is pronounced because some of the younger ones now flaunt their wealth unduly,’’ he said.

    Ali Baba added that he was now on another platform and not the regular one people used to see him on.

    “I still crack jokes but people won’t see me on the platform they are used to.

    “I will be 30 years on stage next year, so I have moved on from the platform people used to see me. I have to leave the platform for upcoming actors.

    “It is like a bank structure where there is a cashier attending to costumers, after 20 years you don’t expect to see that cashier still counting money behind the counter.

    “When I started, it was only Nigeria Television Authority (NTA), now we have many television stations and radio stations so the platform is bigger and wider,’’ the ace comedian said.

    Ali Baba told NAN that he was more into mentoring budding entertainers on the business side of showbiz.

    “The thing I do is that I teach by example, a lot of them have watched me perform; professionalism is key and talent is important.

    “It is important that you develop your talent, when talent becomes a service that is when people will require it. Nobody will buy a talent if it is not for service.

    “I teach other comedians to be humble, focused and think ahead. I expect that others should beat my strides.

    “My strides are like foundation for a lot of comedians to grow with but with recent technology, the platform is now wider and accommodating,’’ he said.

    Ali Baba said that the current lull in the show business should be a wakeup call for entertainers to be more creative with the profession.

    “As a comedian, you need a lot of information which is why we have a lull in the industry now, people don’t create jokes anymore, but are looking for people’s joke.

    “It is a wake up for emerging market and for comedians to improve on their act every time and read.

    “Once you have information you will grow, so, I teach a lot of them to seek for information which is the only way to sustain them in the profession,’’ he said.

    NAN reports that Ali Baba, born Atunyota Alleluya Akorobomerere is a versatile entertainer, a stand-up comedian of great repute, radio show host, motivational speaker and actor.

  • NTA Dutse wins inter-media football competition

    The Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) Dutse has emerged winner of the Inter Media Football competition organised by the Jigawa Council of NUJ.

    The NUJ Chairman in the state, Malam Sunusi Madobi, disclosed this in an interview on Tuesday.

    Madobi said NTA defeated Radio Jigawa 1-0 to win the competition, which was organised for all chapels of NUJ in the state.

    He said the chapels that participated in the competition included NTA Dutse, Radio Jigawa, Freedom Radio, Horizon Radio and the Jigawa State Ministry of Information.

    The chairman said the competition was organised to foster unity and understanding among practicing journalists in the state.

    Madobi announced that the competition was the first of its kind since the creation of the state in 1991.

    He commended all the chapels that participated in the competition.

    He said the council would seek for sponsors to enable it to organise more of the competition in future.