All heads of parastatals under the ministry of information and culture have been sacked by the federal government.

This was made known on Monday morning by the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, during a meeting with the heads of the agencies held in his office at Radio House, Abuja.

The affected chief executives are Ladan Salihu (Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, FRCN), Sola Omole (Nigerian Television Authority, NTA), Ima Niboro (News Agency of Nigeria, NAN) and Emeka Mba (National Broadcasting Commission, NBC).

Others are Mike Omeri, (National Orientation Agency, NOA) and Sam Worlu, Voice of Nigeria, VON).

The minister directed all of them to hand over to the most senior official in their respective agencies.

The first inkling that something was afoot came when the minister summoned the chief executives on Sunday for the meeting. It was gathered that at least three of them were out of Abuja but had to hurriedly return to the nation’s capital for the Monday morning meeting where they were handed their sack letter.

Salihu, the FRCN boss, for example, was recalled from Owerri, the Imo State capital, where he and other directors of the federal government – owned radio station were to commence a Central Management Committee, CMC, meeting. As at the time of filing this report, Salihu was still holding valedictory meetings with some senior managers of the agency.

It was gathered that Niboro, who served ex-President Goodluck Jonathan as spokesman before his appointment as Managing Director of NAN, has since handed over to Afolabi Jones, the most senior director in the agency.