Arewa Economic Forum Alleges Targeted Removal of NTA Chief, Calls for Presidential Intervention

The Arewa Economic Forum (AEF) is raising concerns over the alleged removal of Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) Director-General, Mallam Salihu Abdulhamid Dembos, calling on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene. The group claims the move is part of a pattern to remove northern appointees from key government positions.

In a press statement, AEF Chairman Ibrahim Dandakata noted that reports of Dembos’s removal were not officially announced but instead leaked to the media, creating confusion. “Such an approach undermines the credibility of official communication, while raising serious questions about the motives behind it,” the statement read.

The group is also troubled by reports that several Executive Directors, appointed just last September, were also allegedly removed. The AEF fears this indicates the process is not only “irregular but deliberately targeted.”

The AEF connected the NTA incident to a recent speculation and unfounded reports about the Group CEO of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), stating that these events fuel a perception of a “deliberate attempt to target and remove appointees of northern origin from strategic positions.”

The forum urged President Tinubu to “urgently call to order those aides and officials within his administration who are behind such divisive and destabilizing actions.” The AEF insists the NTA, as a sensitive national institution, should not be subject to “unnecessary political manipulation or internal sabotage.”

The statement concluded with a direct appeal to the President to allow Dembos to complete his tenure, noting there have been no allegations of wrongdoing or incompetence against him.

Recently, PRNigeria reported that the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) was facing internal turmoil following an unverified report that claims President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has replaced the current Director-General, Salihu Abdulhamid Dembos, with sports executive Rotimi Pedro. The report also names new appointees to key executive roles, including Karimah Bello, Stella Din, and Sophia Issa Mohammed.

Neither the Presidency nor the Ministry of Information had confirmed or denied the alleged changes. Notably, both presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga and Information Minister Mohammed Idris Malagi were on a public engagement tour in Enugu and Ebonyi States, when the rumour was leaked, adding to the silence.

The lack of clarity has sparked speculation that internal “power blocs” may be leaking sensitive information to the media. This comes just days after a similar rumor about the NNPCL Managing Director’s resignation.

The current NTA leadership was appointed less than two years ago—Dembos in October 2023 and six Executive Directors in September 2024—making the alleged shake-up particularly surprising.

The incident highlights growing anxiety over the spread of unverified news and the challenges of maintaining public trust when official communication is absent.

By PRNigeria