From Victor Osula, Abuja
Channels Television has countered allegations made by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, over the land housing its headquarters in Abuja, insisting that the allocation was lawfully approved in 2007 and that all statutory fees and charges were fully paid in line with due process.
Wike, during a media chat on Wednesday, questioned the legitimacy of the allocation of the land located in the Guzape District of Abuja, suggesting that the media organisation was operating on public property without purchase and deriving commercial benefit from it.
“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 said, while also noting that media access and services are not free of charge.
In a swift response on Thursday, Channels Television dismissed the allegation, stating that the property was legally allocated to the organisation on March 6, 2007, by the then Federal Capital Territory administration for commercial purposes.
The broadcaster maintained that all required fees and statutory charges connected to the land were duly settled, stressing that the allocation followed established procedures governing land administration in the FCT.
“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. We can confirm that all required fees and charges were fully paid”, the organisation stated.
Channels Television further urged the FCT authorities to provide clarity on broader issues relating to land allocations within the capital, particularly as they affect media organisations and other institutional stakeholders.
Reaffirming its status as a commercial broadcasting outfit, the station noted that its operations are guided by standard industry practices, including payment for airtime and programming services.
“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”, it added.
