Appointed, Removed and Reinstated: The Story of Engr Vincent Maduka, the NTA DG from Anioma

By Emeka Esogbue

Do you know that Eng Vincent I. Maduka, OFR, the first Director General of the Nigerian Television Authority is from Illah an Anioma community in Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State?

What is typical of Nigerian politics is reflected in the life narrative of Vincent Ifeanyichukwu Maduka. Caught up by the Nigerian political system, he tasted the good, the bad and the ugly but survived the tide in the end.

Maduka was born to Maduka in Epetedo, Lagos in 1935. He received a good education, attending Leeds University in England and Kings College in Lagos.

The retd ace broadcaster made his memoir, "The Reel Life: My Years Managing Public Service Television," available to the public in 2022. The unveiling took place within the Onikan, Lagos, MUSON Centre.

Cruising to success was never an easy one for the Anioma man from Illah who faced travails.

The drama started in 1977 when he was appointed the pioneer Director-General of the new Federal Television Monopoly by the Olusegun Obasanjo administration. In contrast, he was removed from the same Nigerian Television Authority by the Shagari administration in 1983 because the Shagari administration would not accept the non-partisan posture of the television DG as widely claimed at the time. Engr Maduka was assigned to the Federal Ministry of Communication where he peacefully resumed his duties.

However, on taking over after deposing the Shagari administration, Gen Muhammadu Buhari (Rtd) dramatically reinstated Vincent Maduka who would later retire at the age of 50 to pursue his engineering consulting business.

As it turned out, Engr. Vincent I. Maduka had been reinstated by Obasanjo to the position of Director-General of the Nigerian Television Authority, had been removed from it by Shagari, and had been restored by Buhari.

All in all, his legacy as the Director-General of the Television Authority endures.

Nothing in the story is significant IMO, Tinubu is not competent to run Nigeria. The results are obvious