Longest-serving BBC Hausa editor, Aliyu Tanko, resigns
Aliyu Tanko, the longest-serving editor of BBC Hausa, has resigned from his position. The resignation follows allegations of “maltreatment” made by a former employee, Halima Umar Saleh.
Confirming his departure to DAILY NIGERIAN, Mr. Tanko stated that he “voluntarily resigned after serving the BBC meritoriously for 17 years.” However, he declined to comment further on the specific allegations made by Ms. Saleh.
Ms. Saleh, now a Senior Digital Editor at TRT Africa, claimed in a recent interview with Arewa24 that Mr. Tanko had mistreated her while she was working under him at the BBC.
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The interview sparked controversy on social media after Arewa24 removed the clip, leading to speculation of an editorial compromise.
According to a source, several internal and external petitions were sent to the BBC headquarters in London, demanding an investigation into the allegations.
It was learned that the Head of BBC West Africa, Ehizojie Okharedia, called an emergency meeting on Wednesday, after which Mr. Tanko abruptly left the office. The details of what was discussed during the meeting could not be confirmed at the time of reporting.
As the Head of BBC Hausa, Mr. Tanko oversaw a team of journalists and senior journalists in London and Abuja, as well as field reporters in Nigeria, Niger, Ghana, and Cameroon.
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He was responsible for the service’s editorial output, which included four daily radio transmissions, twenty hours of digital content (web and social media), and a weekday TV news bulletin.
During his tenure, Mr. Tanko introduced several popular programmes, including Daga Bakin Mai Ita, Ku San Malamanku, Zamantakewa, Mahangar Zamani, Lafiya Zinariya, and Korona Ina Mafita.
With a team of over 40 staff, the Hausa Service is the leading BBC language service in Africa, boasting over 23 million weekly radio listeners and approximately 10 million weekly page views on its website.
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