Ahmed Abdulkadir
Excerpt from my Memoir
As the CEO and General Manager, GM, of Katsina State Television (KTTV), a state broadcast station, not many are aware of the numerous conflicts I faced with those in power.
One such confrontation occurred when I found myself caught in a dilemma between the then Secretary to the Katsina State Government, SSG, late Dr. Abba Sayyadi Rumah, and the Katsina State House of Assembly (KTSHA).
The SSG and KTSHA were locked in a bitter dispute during the visit of the then President, Olusegun Obasanjo, to Katsina State. Tensions reached a boiling point when, during introductions, the Speaker of the KTSHA, late Kabir Ahmad Kofa, claimed to have been snubbed by the SSG, who prevented them from shaking hands with the President. In response, the Assembly decided to summon the SSG to explain his actions. And so, my troubles began.
Both the Speaker and other members of the House of Assembly demanded that KTTV must report their summons in the news. The SSG, however, vehemently opposed that decision. It was a stand-off between two powerful entities, leaving me caught in the crossfire.
The Speaker dispatched his Press Secretary, Nasiru Ahmad Zango, to instruct me to broadcast the news, while the SSG asked Nasiru Abdul, the Special Adviser to Katsina State Governor on Press and Publicity to inform me that it must not go on air. The pressure was mounting...
I carefully considered the situation. Airing the news would anger the SSG, potentially jeopardizing my position. On the other hand, not broadcasting it would offend the Speaker and the entire House. I found myself in a precarious position, lacking power compared to the other parties involved. It was akin to holding a tiger by its tail, with the writing on the wall indicating the inevitable consequences. I felt as if a Siberian wind was blowing over the nape of my neck and I instinctively felt that my days as GM of KTTV were numbered. However, a glimmer of comfort came from being on secondment and knowing I could always return to my primary employer, the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC).
Taking a deep breath, I summoned the news bulletin and discovered that the story was the leading headline. I made a compromise within myself. I revised the report, toning it down and removing it from the headline, but allowed it to be aired.
Little did I know that this decision would prove to be my undoing. From that moment onward, I became the SSG's archenemy. Nevertheless, the KTSHA expressed satisfaction with my decision.
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