Nothing wrecks an organization easier and faster than a desperate and determined fifth-columnists in its rank. In fact, fifth columnists are like virus eating deep into the body of its host. Fifth-columnists are not patriots; they are not whistle-blowers inspired by altruism. They are collaborators of the enemy; they are infiltrators, saboteurs and subversives; they are enemy within.
Fifth column, a translation of the Spanish “Quinta Columna” was inspired by a boast by rebel General, Emilio Mola during the Spanish war. Mola predicted that Madrid would fall as four columns of rebel troops approaching the city were joined by another hidden column of sympathizers within in.
At the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), an important agency of government responsible for the regulation of broadcast industry in Nigeria, there is formidable but hidden nest of fifth columnists and blabbermouths who are working assiduously to undermine the Commission and all it stands for, all in efforts to destabilize its management. Like Mola’s fifth column, they are currently in cahoots with unpatriotic elements with a clear agenda in mind: malign, scandalize and distract the Director General, Mallam Balarabe Shehu Ilelah. They are not motivated by any sense of patriotism nor inspired by altruistic intention. As far as they are concerned, their target must be brought down and they are prepared to throw in every imaginable allegation – from the harebrained to the ludicrous – to achieve their aim.
Reading through a poorly articulated but purely a hatchet job published in Sahara Reporters on the December 4, 2021 titled, “EXCLUSIVE: Director General of National Broadcasting Corporation, Ilelah, in Alleged Multi-Billion Naira Contracts’ Scandal”, one was left with no doubt as to where it was coming from. Not only is the dissonance between the sensational heading and the mendacious content of the story very telling, the entirety of the report reeks of raw malice and undisguised vendetta by a few disgruntled staff who are disenchanted by the new order that have clearly dislocated their old ways of running the show in the Commission.
In all of the sensational report, not even a single case of malfeasance or misconduct was cited nor substantiated against the Director General beyond the pedestrian allegation that he is “awarding more contracts to Muslims than to Christians” and how the “Procurement Department has been busy attending to contract files of people not shortlisted or issued award letters”. Have the authors of this mendacious report forgotten that NBC has Department for Procurement which is peopled by members of staff from different religious and ethnic background? Is it not sheer mischief and crass ignorance to accuse the DG of directing the procurement department to shortlist only contractors from a particular religion or ethnicity? Have they forgotten that there is a procurement law and that procurement can never be handled by a one-man team and that it involves so many layers and so many officers and even agencies? Is it not inconceivable that the DG is appropriating all these functions to himself?
The thing with fifth-columnists and agent provocateurs is that they are always very excitable and they believe that once they craft their noxious narrative it must carry a devastating effect on their victims. How wrong they are in this case! They had believed that by invoking the old sentiment of ethnic and religious biases, the whole country would erupt in anger and rage against their victim. They assumed that by working assiduously to demonize and scandalize a man who is just settling down for the onerous responsibility of his important job through contrived and sensational allegations, he will be distracted, lose guard and begin to dance to their tune. Again, how wrong they are!
It is a shame that a section of the uncensored media finds their mojo and takes delight in publishing such concocted, malicious but sensational stories as long as it is anti-establishment without as much as committing to minimal level of due diligence or fact-checking; otherwise, how could you in one part of the story claim that according to workers, the DG has “abused all known procurement regulations in the agency” yet you are unable to substantiate even one of such infractions?
Even more worrisome is the revelation in the said report that a “clique at the Commission set traps for the DG through indiscriminate award of contracts” and that “if he escapes, it will be a miracle”. How despicable! What manner of staff set traps for their boss and lie in wait to see him fall? Why would staff of a key government agency paid with tax payers’ money deliberately undermine their Chief Executive for the simple reason that he does not do their bidding or that he does not fit their preconceived notion of who ought to occupy the said position? Why should civil servants working in a Federal Agency be so engrossed with and preoccupied by the base sentiment of religion and ethnicity to the point of using them to bait their Chief Executive? What is going on at the NBC?
Whatever it is, I call on the staff of that important Commission to strive as much as possible to wean themselves of the notoriety as a nest of fifth-columnists and petition writers who are adept at setting traps and hauling banana-peels at their management. There is nothing patriotic or altruistic in laying ambush against the system. That act is treasonable!
As for the Director General, Mallam Balarebe Shehu Ilelah, to remain steadfast and undaunted in the face of this mendacity. He must not be distracted or dispirited otherwise he would have given the fifth-columnists the oxygen they needed to ply their ignoble trade. Eye on the ball sir!
*Jude Ede-Attah writes from Abuja