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Efforts initiated by Channels TV to rehabilitate Nigeria’s premier Police College have run into a road block days after President Goodluck Jonathan publicly condemned the Lagos-based station for allegedly embarrassing his administration by running a documentary that exposed the deep rot at the school.

The Channels Forum scheduled to hold this evening at the Muson Centre in Lagos, South-West Nigeria, was postponed at the late hour without any reasons offered. Channels’ management simply said it “would like to inform invited guests and the public” that the much anticipated event “has been postponed.” It said in a short announcement that “a new date will be announced later,” adding: “We apologize for any inconveniences.”

News Express recalls that a Channels TV documentary on the life of trainees living in the Nigerian Police College, Ikeja (one of seven such schools in the country), revealed the deplorable conditions faced by the students but sparked outrage over the unbelievably deep rot at the school.

Channels ran the programme as a prelude to a forum in Lagos designed to be used to ginger the private sector into taking up the challenge of fixing the dilapidated structures at the Police College. It had already started to attract partners, with the Contemporary Group, a Lagos-based construction and building Development Company undertaking to remodel and redesign the college.

Besides, a health centre was pledged by an organisation, a lecture hall by a bank and a bore-hole water pump donated by a religious organisation.

But all that now appears to be in jeopardy after Channels has put off the event three days after Jonathan on a surprise visit to the College a day after the Channels’ documentary accused the station of being out to embarrass his administration.

•Photo: Jonathan looks in disbelieve inside the Police College hostel during his visit.

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