We’ve lost billions of naira to inferno ―TVC CEO, Hanlon 

The Chief Executive Officer, Television Continental (TVC), Andrew Hanlon has disclosed that the organisation lost billions of Naira to the inferno that struck it last week by some hoodlums amidst the demand for the end to the special anti-robbery squad (SARS) by youths across the country. 

Hanlon made this disclosure during the visit to Television Continental (TVC) by the Nigerian Press Organisation (NPO),  comprising the  Newspaper Proprietors’  Association of Nigeria (NPAN), the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) and the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Lagos on Tuesday.

The CEO expressed gratitude to God for not losing any staff of the organisation to the event, stating that bricks and mortar can be replaced but people’s lives cannot.

He commiserated with the families and well-wishers of those who lost their lives amidst the demonstration.

Meanwhile, Hanlon stated that its television and radio services were back.

“Billions of Naira have been lost to this fire. So, it has to be replaced. 

“Bricks and mortar can be replaced but people’s lives cannot be replaced and that is more important than anything else. 

“After what has happened to us last week, seeing our business gone up in flames in an inferno in this building here which has now turned into Shell was a very traumatic one for everybody.

“But, we are grateful that nobody died unlike those who had died in the protest that occurred across the country. Our hearts and sympathy go out to all those people and their families as well. 

“For us at TVC, we are grateful that we have the resources to be able to continue in business. Our television and radio services are back on the air (TVC News, TVC Entertainment channel, Max FM). 

“So, we are very grateful to all of our staff for coming together and getting us back on the air. “The big challenge for us now is to rebuild what we have here and that is what our attention is going to be from now on. 

“We are going to come back bigger and stronger than what we were before. We have got a huge job or work to do. The main thing is everyone who works for us is safe with our company. “We have paid everybody. Nobody goes penniless. To us, that is very important,” Hanlon said. 

Speaking also, the President, Nigerian Press Organisation, Nduka Obaigbena demanded for law and order and security for all and sundry in the country. 

Nduka added that there should be free speech and people should be given the right to protest without hinderance and take their ideas to build a better society.

“The demand is to have law and order and security for everybody. I don’t want to ask anything specially for the media.

“If we all have law and order and security, we will not treat ourselves’ special. 

“We should follow the rule of law and the constitution of the country. 

“We should have free speech and we should give the people the right to protest without hindrance and take their ideas to build a better society,” he said. 

While speaking on the recent fine imposed by the National Broadcasting Commission on Channels, Arise News and African Independent Television, Obaigbena described the situation as being between the devil and the hard place, stating that the organisations could not have published unverifiable materials.

He, however, noted that he would engage NBC and make known their stance.

“We are between the devil and the hard place. We were witnesses to the shootings. So, we could not have published unverifiable materials. 

“We would engage the NBC and we would let them know that we have a stake in this country and that we will always publish the truth,” Obaigbena said.  

Dignitaries present during the visit were Former Governor of Ogun State, Olusegun Osoba; Founder and Publisher of Guardian Newspapers, Maiden Alex Ibru; Founder and Publisher, Vanguard Newspapers, Sam Amuka Pemu; Owner, Silverbird Television, Ben Murray-Bruce and so many others.

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