Abba Zayyan, the departing General Manager of Katsina State Television (KTTV), has maintained that his departure was a voluntary resignation on November 2, 2026, rather than a termination by the Katsina State Government.
Zayyan’s clarification comes amid a government announcement removing him from office, six days before the effective date of his resignation.
His resignation letter was received by the office of the Secretary to the State Government on November 6, 2026.
Speaking with Daily Trust on the telephone, the outgoing general manager insisted that he had voluntarily relinquished his position and was not sacked by the state government.
However, in a statement issued on Tuesday, November 10, the state government announced that Governor Dikko Umaru Radda had approved his removal from office with immediate effect.
The statement, signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ibrahim Kaula Mohammed, attributed the decision to Zayyan’s alleged failure to align with the administration’s Building Your Future Agenda.
The government also expressed disappointment with the station’s performance, despite what it described as substantial investments in equipment, infrastructure and institutional support aimed at repositioning KTTV to international standards.
It said the station had continued to operate below expectations and failed to effectively communicate government policies and programmes to residents of the state and a wider audience.
Zayyan, who served as general manager for three years, also highlighted efforts he said he made to improve the station’s operations and technical capacity.
He said he inherited a television station that was virtually comatose, with only two functional cameras and a single studio, while staff morale was at its lowest ebb.
He added that he converted some offices into studios, secured 10 cameras through the support of friends and organised in-house training programmes to improve staff capacity.
What You Should Know
This development highlights a communication breakdown or disagreement between a public agency head and the state government regarding a high-profile exit. While the former general manager insists on a voluntary resignation, the state government maintains that he was removed due to underperformance and failure to align with official administrative agendas.
- Positive Impact: Clearer public accountability regarding leadership changes in state-owned media institutions.
- Potential Concerns: Public confusion over governance procedures and potential friction within state media operations.
