If information on HardReporters news desk is anything to go by, then Delta state commissioner for information, Patrick Ukah has allegedly embezzled over N100 million being money realised from adverts placement on the three state owned media houses, the Pointer newspaper, Delta Broadcasting Service, Asaba and Warri.
Confiding in our correspondent, an impeccable managerial staff of Delta Broadcasting Service, (DRTV) Warri, disclosed that since inception of Mr. Ukah as information commissioner, all adverts money from government agencies, Ministries and Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), are not remitted to the three state owned media houses.
“This is what we have been experiencing since Ukah came in as information commissioner. Because there certain news items classified as adverts that state government agencies and Ministries paid for. And this news items normally come through Ukah, but as they come, Ukah, will minute on the materials and send across to us in Warri for broadcast and pocket the money.
“This is not peculiar to DRTV alone, investigation carried out also shows that Ukah does same to DBS Asaba and the Pointer newspapers. By our calculations, Ukah has embezzled over N100 million since he became the information commissioner. Because of fear and victimization, no one dares confront him and you dare not dustbin the material from Ukah.” our source said.
A check by our correspondent at the Delta Broadcasting Service, (DBS), Asaba, it was discovered that the information commissioner, Mr. Ukah, does the same embezzlement of advert money.
Independent investigation by our correspondent revealed that the most recent of such embezzlement by Mr. Ukah was N500, 000 which he refused to remit to DBS, Asaba.
“Ukah is fond of embezzling advert money that passed through him. We carried out investigation and we discovered of recent that government made available huge sums of money for Special Government Announcements and other news items which always go through the Information Commissioner, but as soon as they get to him, he pockets the money and minutes on the items and send to us.
“Our investigation further revealed that PDP and government agencies and Ministries do pay money too because we classified all these items from the above bodies as advert and they pay for them too. All the items from the above bodies always passed through Mr. Ukah and as soon as they get to him, he pockets the money and send to us the minuted items for broadcast.
“I can boldly say that since Ukah was appointed as information commissioner, he has embezzled over N100 million. This embezzlement is not limited to only our station, DBS Asaba, he does same thing to DRTV and the Pointer newspapers. We have carried out our own investigation and we discovered that he does it to the three state owned media houses.
“As we talk, all our giant generators (Plant) in DBS Asaba and Warri are broken down, we currently use a small generator owned by one of our staff in DBS Asaba and Warri. DBS is gradually folding up. The Okowa administration is not bothered about DBS Asaba and Warri, yet they run to AIT and CHANNELS TV and other privately owned broadcasting stations. What a shame.” a source in DBS Asaba lamented.
As at the time of this report, all efforts to reach out to the state commissioner for information, Mr. Patrick Ukah, were unsuccessful as he rebuffed calls and messages to his mobile line which has always been his tradition.
