NBC, Pinnacle Resolve Legal Dispute over Digital Migration

The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) and Pinnacle Communication Limited have announced that the legal bottleneck that hampered the country’s chances of meeting the June 2017 switchover from analogue to digital viewing is over.

Pinnacle Communication is thus bound to launch the Abuja digital switchover before the end of November, 2016.

Malam Is’haq Modibbo Kawu, director-general of NBC at a Reconciliatory and Interactive meeting with the Management of Pinnacle Communications Ltd., on Friday in Abuja, said that Pinnacle Communications was a very strong leader in the Nigerian broadcasting industry, adding that over the years, NBC developed a very cordial and mutually-beneficial relationship with the company.

Kawu noted that since assumption of office he had been consulting with others and one of the outcomes was resolution of the needless tussle with the Nigerian firm.

He said: “I am happy to report that we have reached substantial agreement in the interest of Nigeria’s DSO. Pinnacle Communications Limited is fully back into the DSO process. Similarly, we have taken a decision, going forwards, that Pinnacle Communications Limited, would serve as the signal distributors for the next phase of the DSO, for which we have tentatively chosen the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

“That decision is a reflection of how far we have gone to remove distrust between the parties. It is also a vote of confidence in the ability of a Nigerian company, in this case, Pinnacle Communications Limited, to be part of a historic process: that of the transition from analogue to digital broadcasting in our country.”

The new DG who could not hide his joy over the resolution of the issue said: “So, finding a resolution to that problem was an important issue for me, from the moment that I was appointed Director General of the NBC. We held several meetings with representatives of Pinnacle Communications Limited on the sore points that led to their seeking legal redress. And our Minister, Alhaji Lai Muhammed, also played a major role in seeking a resolution of the impasse as well as giving the reassurances that led us to a point where the two parties agreed that we needed to move on from distrust, to a re-affirmation of commitment to finding success, collectively, for the Nigerian DSO.

“In truth, we did not have to reach the point where the relationship between us broke down to the point of one of the parties, would decide to go to the courts to seek legal redress. Pinnacle Communications Limited is a very strong leader in the Nigerian broadcasting industry. And over the years, our commission developed a very cordial and mutually-beneficial relationship with them. We collaborated in different areas of endeavour that further strengthened our relationship.

“When Pinnacle Communications Limited became the preferred bidders and winners of the Second National License as the second signal distributors for the Nigerian Digital Switch Over (DSO), it looked like a consolidation of a process that was going to help us speed up the Nigerian digital switchover. Unfortunately, it was soon after that process that the relationship between the two parties became strained leading to the institution of a legal action by Pinnacle Communications Limited.

Responding, Mr Dipo Onifade, executive director, Pinnacle Communications Ltd., confirmed that the matter had been resolved totally due to the confidence that the company had in the new leadership of NBC.

`` We trust the people at the helm of affairs at NBC and the Minister of Information and Culture.

`` We want to assure the NBC that you have our full support as your success is our success, `` Onifade said.

He assured the NBC management of his company’s support towards meeting deadline for digital switch over.

 He said: “ We are licencee of NBC, which is the architect of this project right now is doing everything in the right way.”

Onifade noted that the clearance given to his company to start the Abuja digital switchover was not part of the term of settlement; it was only an olive branch waved by NBC.