CHANNELS Television has countered the claims by Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, over the allocation of a parcel of land housing its headquarters in Abuja.
Wike had questioned the allocation of the Guzape plot to the television station during a media chat on Wednesday, arguing that the media organisation was benefiting commercially from government-allocated public property.
“The land that you built Channels on is public land. You are making money out of the public property. Did you buy it? No. It was allocated to you,” the minister alleged.
He also defended the payments made for the live broadcast of the media chat, stating that media organisations do not provide such coverage free of charge.
Responding to the minister’s claim on Thursday, Channels Television in a statement described the minister’s claim as inaccurate, stating that the land was legally allocated to the station for commercial use on March 6, 2007.
“It is not correct. The property which houses our national headquarters in the Guzape area of Abuja was allocated to CTV on March 6, 2007, for commercial purposes by the then FCT minister,” the station said.
It added that all statutory charges and required fees related to the property had been fully paid.
“We can confirm that all required fees and charges were fully paid,” it added.
The organisation also defended the payments it received for the live broadcast of the minister’s media chat, explaining that such transmissions require the deployment of outside broadcasting vans, technical personnel, and airtime resources.
“Our fees are out there. We are a news and broadcast media organisation. So, if you are going to lock down one, two, or three hours of airtime, of course you will pay,” the statement added.
Channels Television added that it would continue to ask “the right questions” while upholding the credibility and public trust it has built over the past three decades.
The ICIR reports that during the media chat, Wike also ordered a crackdown on abandoned and poorly developed areas surrounding Jabi Lake, calling the situation an eyesore that is unbefitting of Nigeria’s capital city.
Wike’s directive followed a viral video in which a popular pastor appealed to the minister to “leave Jabi Lake for Nigerians,” warning against developments that could restrict public access to the recreational hub.
The minister revealed that plots of land around the lake, originally allocated for high-end projects, had remained undeveloped for years and were filled with makeshift structures.
“For 15 years, nothing happened. We cannot continue like that. If you are not ready to develop, we will take back the land and give it to those who are serious,” Wike said.
Nanji is an investigative journalist with the ICIR. She has years of experience in reporting and broadcasting human angle stories, gender inequalities, minority stories, and human rights issues. She has documented sexual war crimes in armed conflict, sex for grades in Nigerian Universities, harmful traditional practices and human trafficking.